Pondering Life in Vegas

[Brutus Buckeye]

We live in Ohio and job growth is not on the up side. I am a teacher (Social Studies) and my spouse is an ASE certified mechanic but also worked as a sign/graphics painter for over 10 years (and had some of his work published in magazines - all hand done). The education funding in Ohio is horrible therefore we have many teachers unemployeed or in working conditions that are not the greatest. My school district is a rural district that hasn't passed a school levy (primary $ generator) since 1994 therefore in a couple of years we will be our of money (and I might be out of a job) and the state will have to come and decide what to do with our district. The dealership my spouse works for business is very slow and there is a rumor they have been bought out (isn't uncommon for new dealership owners to fire everyone and rehire).

I have heard that Las Vegas has a high demand for teachers due to their growth. Is the school district one district or are there several? I have heard that Las Vegas gives prospective teachers a break on rent. How is Las Vegas' school system and how is it funded? Are there major safety issues with the Las Vegas school system?

Do you think my spouse could find work in the area of sign/graphics design (he only has experience hand painting not computer graphics but is a quick learner and talented)?

What area of Las Vegas is safe and somewhat affordable? I have heard good things about the Henderson area and Paradise, Las Vegas.

Thanks - We are just gathing information and haven't made any decisions at this point.

[HurricaneMikey]

Henderson is a very nice area--I live just on the edge of it, and work in Henderson proper.

I couldn't tell you the first thing about the schools except they are very nice in that area. Big, sprawling, new campuses. There is lots of new money in Henderson (and the housing prices reflect it) but it seems that the schools are well-funded. At least to this outsider with no kids...

Mikey

[howzie]

Clark County is all one school district, I believe the 5th or 6th largest in the country. There is a perpetual teacher shortage, to he point where they are recruiting overseas (esp. Phillipines) and are hiring non-certified teachers.

From what they were saying in the gubinatorial debates tonight, CCSD is right at the national median for salaries.

As far as safety, it'd depend on what area of the district you were in, I'd imagine. I'd much prefer to teach in Summerlin than West Las Vegas, but I don't know how the school district determines that.

[vegasbound]

For starters check out ccsd.net and ccsd.net/jobs. What I know about CCSD is little help to you. I work with them during the construction process. I have no children, so the little I know about the schools is what I hear from co-workers. It seems much money is spent building the schools, but little funding goes toward supplies inside the schools. I was appalled when I learned that all students don't have their own books. There's not enough to go around... Teachers waste much of there time making photocopies to issue packets to work on in class and to send home. Some teachers have great ideas, but there's little or no funding to implement them.

Teachers are definitely needed. From what I've heard the only qualification required is a bachelor's degree, no actual teaching experience necessary. Incentives are offered to those who are qualified, last I heard, science and math teachers were especially in high demand.

I don't know much about your husband's field. I deal with several printing/sign companies, but they are computer based. Mainly dealing with blueprints, plans, etc. Check the classifieds in the lvrj.com and see what's available.

Henderson, Green Valley, Summerlin, Southern Highlands, and Aliante are all nice neighborhoods for families. There's other nice areas/neighborhoods that are more affordable, but they're scattered around town making it more difficult to narrow down.

A great tool when looking at neighborhoods is the lvmpd's crime mapper:
http://www.lvmpd.com/crimeviewcommunity/