Clark County again having a teacher shortage

I've mentioned before that one of the many reasons we moved from Vegas was a 50% HS graduation rate. Not that we had kids in school, but just what were those dropouts going to do in a town with double digit unemployment? Where would they find work?

Now for the second year in a row, the Clark County School District, by the way, the 6th largest in the country, is facing a massive teacher shortage.

Despite the promise of $5,000 signing bonuses, the Clark County School District expects to start the school year next month with at least 700 teacher vacancies.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/ccsd-start-school-year-700-teachers-short

And then there is this:

Nevada ranked dead last among the 50 states for the educational opportunities that it provides to public school students, according to a new report tracking how children have fared in the post-recession years.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/report-ranks-nevada-last-education

We still love our Vegas vacations, but living there was not for us. Just posting for some of the people in the group who think about moving there with their kids to ponder.

 

I find it hard to believe that CA went up from 49th and 40% dropout rate ( btw I think 40% is an optimistic #...reality is way worse)
and since LAUSD is the 2nd largest district in the nation it is more shameful
if NV beat MO in the race to the bottom?, that's saying something

edit: read your 2nd link, the dropout rate by 12th grade still puts NV ahead of CA and MO
the dead last comment was based on preschool and 4th grade reading achievement

"And high school students who didn't graduate on time ticked down from 44 percent in 2007-08 to 40 percent in 2011-12."

 

I know my state sucks at education...but what is Missouri actually behind Nevada in? Are you sure you didn't mean Mississippi (MS)? I didn't see any discussion of other states in either of those links.

 

To be fair, it's not just Las Vegas... it's the entire State of Nevada. We traditionally battle it out with Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana for last place bragging rights with regards to Education. A former legislator once proclaimed and rightly so, "we're at the bottom of every good list and the top of every bad." The Governor led a very aggressive education reform package this past legislative session and with a Republican controlled House and Senate passed significant tax increases and reforms to along with 'em. I'm skirting the no politics rule here I know... so suffice it to say the intent was to improve. It won't happen overnight, but the state's commitment is solid.

 

My son lived in Las Vegas for a year before he married. His now wife is a teacher. She refused to move to Las Vegas and get a teaching job there. She works for about 60% of the pay she could earn in Las Vegas and was offered a job but was terrified of the gang culture pervasive in the schools. Yes, the better schools with the better graduation rates don't have this but as a new teacher she was afraid of where they would place her. She had contacted several people on social media who were in the school system and they apparently opened her eyes. Whether this is an exaggeration or not I have no clue, that was her excuse. At least now my grandchildren are 20 minutes away rather than a whole days travel!

The kids who don't graduate really don't have much of a future. Yes, a few make it. Most teachers bust their hump trying to get to them but social forces and lack of parental support are too much to overcome and the kids give up. It doesn't take too long before they realize their mistake but by then it's too late.

Paying teachers more isn't the answer. You could offer $300K a year and fill every job. I'd take one! But not stay on for more than a year. The system has to change. The students and parents need to change. How, no clue.

I wish Nevada the best in solving the problem. Perhaps fresh ideas in place now will help. We can all hope so!

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My son lived in Las Vegas for a year before he married. His now wife is a teacher. She refused to move to Las Vegas and get a teaching job there. She works for about 60% of the pay she could earn in Las Vegas and was offered a job but was terrified of the gang culture pervasive in the schools. Yes, the better schools with the better graduation rates don't have this but as a new teacher she was afraid of where they would place her. She had contacted several people on social media who were in the school system and they apparently opened her eyes. Whether this is an exaggeration or not I have no clue, that was her excuse. At least now my grandchildren are 20 minutes away rather than a whole days travel!

The kids who don't graduate really don't have much of a future. Yes, a few make it. Most teachers bust their hump trying to get to them but social forces and lack of parental support are too much to overcome and the kids give up. It doesn't take too long before they realize their mistake but by then it's too late.

Paying teachers more isn't the answer. You could offer $300K a year and fill every job. I'd take one! But not stay on for more than a year. The system has to change. The students and parents need to change. How, no clue.

I wish Nevada the best in solving the problem. Perhaps fresh ideas in place now will help. We can all hope so!

 

It's not just hiring new teachers. Many tenure teachers don't do shit and really don't care. Let's face it, some students are hopeless while others have potential.

I think its the education system rather than blaming it on the teachers or area is the issue.

There's a reason why the USA ranks bad as compared to other countries (pre-college). Contarily , the USA has the best colleges world wide.


My only solution is fixing and revising the education system. It's like the war on drugs; it only can be solved by reforming it (legal )



I

 

Unfortunately for me, a history teacher I cannot take the $ offer.

The principal at the school I was at this year reitred from cps and took a kindergarten job in vegas

 

Something I dont get here.

They can start the school year with 700 fewer teachers? Sure the classrooms will be more crowded but they will still be able to teach.

So if they did have the 700 teachers would that make the schools better performing or does the problem maybe lie somewhere else?