Letter to the Editor

I have never been a confrontational person. I would never write a letter just to “stir the water” but my hopes are in sharing my story, others may not be “raped” by Clark County School District as I was. Let me explain. A few years ago after completing a degree in Elem. Education and after teaching for a few years, I was recruited to work for the almighty CCSD. I can remember professors in school recommending it because of its high pay. Taking a leap, I came to Clark County and started working in an elementary school in the southeast region.
Shortly after starting, I realized that the school didn’t run very well as a whole. There were cliques with the administration, back biting by the other teachers, being told not to help each other, as that was unprofessional, lack of training, and the list could go on. There was even a “principal hit list” of teachers that were being driven from the school simply because they weren’t liked by administration, not because of their teaching skills or abilities. What a mess I thought. I soon learned to get on administrations good side, to not be added to that list, and to keep to myself and my classroom.
Last March a person from the district came to a staff meeting to report that CCSD was not able to hire and retain teachers and they were completing a survey to find out why. (They would hire 3000 teachers a year and by January 1000+ would have quit.) I thought of my experience teaching in another state and my experience with Clark County and it was black and white. The funny thing is, it had nothing to do with the children or parents. The students are the same wherever you go. They are willing and excited to learn. They work hard and do their best. No the problem with not being able to retain teachers came from CCSD as a whole, and in my case was even worse because of a cliquish school.
Earlier this year, I had to resign from CCSD due to an at risk pregnancy. I had been ill for several days and had used a few sick days before actually resigning. I knew that I had 15-20 work accumulated sick days that I could use, but was never guided in what I needed to do in order to use those days, as I was technically sick, and I was told simply to resign. I thought that meant I would be paid for those days, and signed my resignation. Not to mention, leaving without a “good luck” or “thanks for the past few years” from my administration.
About a month later, I received a letter from CCSD accounting saying that I owed them money that they had overpaid me. I was shocked! How could I owe them when they owed me for my sick days and even for some after hour professional development workshops I had attended? I literally spent the next 3 months being transferred from payroll, to contracting, to licensed personnel, to the office manager, trying to figure this out, only to be sent a letter from Clark County School Districts legal department saying that legal action was foreboding. I was told all different things, from all different people, but what it came down to was supposedly everything was my fault. From getting pregnant to signing my resignation without properly going over the sick leave information, to getting the wrong advice from the wrong department. It was my entire fault and CCSD did nothing but try and help me. WRONG!
I don’t want a situation like mine to come up again. I feel like my rights were ripped away. I used the word “raped” because I do feel like I was mistreated by people at my school and by CCSD as a whole. I was the one wounded from my time in Clark County School District. I don’t know the answer to all the problems, but I would NEVER return to CCSD and I would NEVER recommend it to any friends, colleagues, or even parents. I know everyone in CCSD hasn’t had an experience like mine, but I do know of several who have. If you are considering a teaching profession, leaving the state of Nevada would be in your best interest. At least until CCSD learns how to treat their teachers as professionals and as the service oriented people we are.