reference agenda item 3
TRANSCRIPT
Reference agenda item 3.02 1 message
Jason Fader Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 6:50 AM To: [email protected]
Dear Board:
I am writing this email in support of a selection of Anna Binder for the audit advisory committee. She is a great mother to 6 children in our district and from my observation is the only community member who engages parents in a truthful way and attends almost every meeting. She demonstrates knowledge and understanding of our issues.
I trust that she would do very well with this appointment and would be honored to serve the community and our district whole heartedly, honestly, and with honor.
Jason Fader
Page 1 of 18
FW: Updated Health and Safety information 1 message
Hawkins, Tiffany Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 11:13 AM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Dear Mr. Jara and other members of the board,
This is a ridiculous mandate! Soon enough you will mandate that students get a vaccination. We live in America, where we have the freedom to choose. We must all live with the consequences of our choices, on either side of the decision. For you to mandate this is absolutely absurd.
Please reconsider your decision and allow each individual person to make their own choice.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Hawkins
From: Clark County School District Communications Sent: Thursday, September 2, 2021 12:24 PM To: CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT Recipients Subject: Updated Health and Safety information
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Parents,
The health and well-being of our students and staff is the top priority for the Clark County School District (CCSD).
The Board of School Trustees voted to authorize Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara to develop and implement a mandatory vaccination plan through which District employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The plan will include a process for requesting accommodations from the vaccination requirement for either medical conditions or for sincerely held religious beliefs.
This mandate applies only to CCSD employees, and there is no current mandate for students.
Superintendent Jara will develop the plan as rapidly and carefully as possible through consultation with District staff, union representatives, and partners, and we will update you accordingly.
You are receiving this email because of your relationship with CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. If you wish to stop receiving email updates sent through the Blackboard service, please unsubscribe. CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | , , | 702-799-4433
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 2 of 18
Taylor Ormonde Mon, Sep 6, 2021 at 3:04 PM To: [email protected], [email protected]
Dear CCSD Board and Superintendent Jara,
I have a kindergarten student enrolled in a CCSD school. She is 5 years old.. As parents we teach our children to never do something they don’t want to do. To never do something they aren’t comfortable with. That is what good parents do. We never want our children feeling pressured or even forced into doing something that does not align with their beliefs or wants.
What you are doing to our teachers is wrong and immoral. You, CCSD are the pimps, treating our teaching staff as if they were prostitutes. You are forcing them to put something into themselves that they do not agree with or that they do not want. You are threatening their livelihood, taking away their means to pay their bills and feed their children. What about that feels right to you? What are you going to do when teachers walk out and never come back because they do not agree to take this vaccination? Replace them with unqualified, temporary staff members?
If this was your son or daughter being told If they don’t do something then they are being stripped of their job, you would be just as enraged as I am. I will tell you this now, no teacher, student or parent is responsible for YOUR or anyone else’s safety. Each person is responsible for their own precautions. My daughter is not forced to wear a mask to make other students and parents comfortable. My daughter is not and will not be vaccinated for your, the students or the parents peace of mind. The teachers are responsible for their own safety. If they do not want the vaccination, you need to stop pimping them out and forcing them into something they do not want.
Your system is so corrupt. You won’t allow religion into school as to not force a belief. But you force your own physical belief and take away from a person that does not agree. You, CCSD are the abusive spouse to all of your teachers, and that truly makes me sick.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves and your votes.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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Covid Protocols 1 message
Lauren Morgan [Dondero ES] Wed, Sep 8, 2021 at 10:53 PM To: BoardMtgComments <[email protected]>
The lack of consistency and efficacy with which this district is handling the "Covid protocols" is abhorrent, albeit unsurprising. Nothing about what we are doing is safe or secure for our teachers or our students. Students are able to come to school sick with multiple symptoms and nothing is done about it except for MAYBE a phone call home. SPTAs, TFAs, Teachers, Specialists are all having to provide coverage in shifts for teachers or aides who are out which is causing cross-contamination between classrooms and settings.
I work in a preschool setting, last week my TFA was pulled to cover in a different classroom-- the very next day, they found that a student in that room was covid positive. My TFA was exposed to that student and subsequently when she returned to our room, exposed all of us. The teachers and staff in the infected student's class all quarantined, but nothing was done, no notice made to the students in our room.
Why are some classes quarantining while others carry on? Why are teachers being asked to provide coverage in classrooms where the teacher is supposedly home sick with covid symptoms-- these rooms aren't cleaned or sanitized!
At the end of the day, protocols surrounding COVID response should absolutely NOT be at the discretion of site administrators. Contact tracing should be done consistently. Cases should be reported and parents notified. The system for reporting, clearing teachers to return, testing, etc. (emocha) needs to be accessible and efficient. Classes should be contained and quarantines enforced.
All we are asking is safety and security. Please.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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Statement 1 message
Victoria Gonder Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 6:56 AM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Please see attached
Page 5 of 18
Regarding Superintendent Jara’s Disregard for Employee and Student Safety as well as Working Conditions during school year 2021/2022: Observations made by staff at Canyon Springs High School
1) Lack of COVID-19 protocol: classrooms are overfilled with 40-60 students no space between students in the classroom 1500 students take lunch together in the cafeteria rooms are not cleaned on a daily basis (not even once a week) because of the lack of staff no one is held accountable for cleaning lack of social distancing during lunch, passing periods, bathroom breaks the only procedures in place are one-way hallways and masks; however, these are not properly
enforced and abided by Students attend school to receive education. They have a right to receive education. However,
due to the lack of teachers and substitute teachers, several classes of students (40-50 each) are corralled into a “holding pen,” that is, the gym, on a daily basis without instruction.
2) Money has been allocated for class size reductions. However, 5 weeks into the school year, the majority of classes are still overcrowded and unsafe. Inquiries regarding class size reductions remain unanswered. Although teachers are selling their prep periods to allow for further class size reductions, class sizes increase and respective teachers now have an additional class that is overcrowded.
3) Teachers are required to cover the extra classes/classes without staff during prep periods, which reduces/removes valuable planning, preparation, and grading time. In addition, special education teachers cover classes without staff and thus are not able to provide instruction in classes with two designated teachers, that is, students with individual education plans do not receive the services they are entitled to.
4) Teachers do not feel safe. Multiple fights have taken place on campus on a daily basis since the beginning of the school
year. Teachers are facing aggressive behavior of students in the classrooms, cafeteria, and
bathrooms. Teachers are not being supported with respect to disciplining these behaviors. No one answers the phone when calls are made asking for help. This is a safety issue. Teachers are attacked by students, but there is no way to call for help. Groups of students are roaming the hallways and quad during instruction time on a daily
basis, but they are not stopped from doing so nor from continuing these behaviors. There is a lack of hall monitors.
5) The shortage of teachers and qualified staff is, to a large part, due to the lack of competitive salaries and the lack of a contract at this time of the year, that is, 5 weeks into instruction.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 6 of 18
6) Students are losing valuable instruction time due to the lack of bus drivers and buses arriving at school late or not at all.
7) Digital Divide remains evident. Not all students have working chromebooks nor have all students internet at home. Teachers received not directions on how to deal with students who have technical issues with their chromebooks nor where to send them for IT support.
8) Another issue is the lack of proper contributions from the district into the funds to the teacher’s health trust, although more money was allocated by the legislature. Where does the money go?
9) Lack of transparency regarding the budget Policies are created without teacher/staff input Many of the policies are time-consuming and neither data-driven nor effective Money is spent on unimportant things, not allocated for teaching the kids
10) Grading reform could have been rolled out more appropriately
All these observations reflect the lack of appropriate management by Superintendent Jara.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 7 of 18
Vaccine mandate 1 message
To: [email protected]
1) The board needs to remember they are here to serve, not to advance personal agendas. The public has voiced our wishes to not require teachers to risk their health by forcing experimental vaccines. There will be lawsuits by teachers if any area fired for noncompliance. ALSO, we cannot afford to lose teachers!
2) I do not accept a high school graduate as a certified teacher. It is unacceptable to not require a teaching degree for substitute teachers.
Janine
Page 8 of 18
Public Comments-Agenda Item 2.01 1 message
Autumn Tampa [ELLD] Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 11:24 AM To: BoardMtgComments <[email protected]>, BoardOfTrustees <[email protected]>
Wrien and Spoken Public Comments for CCSD Board meeng on 9-9-2021 5:00pm
Agenda Item 2.01 Non-Agenda Item-Climate and Culture
While parcipang in our monthly ESEA meeng, what I believe and feel about some crical CCSD challenges became clear. I talk in person, and I talk online to many CCSD employees. I also belong to 6 CCSD Employee Facebook groups. Many are saying the same thing. CCSD NEEDS to listen to what Bargaining Agents are saying, and to what all of its employees are saying!!
First, many schools are NOT safe right now. Distancing is NOT being done at many schools because of staff shortages and lack of example, encouragement or enforcement by building principals and their respecve Associate Superintendents. Crowding students into classrooms and small group sengs WITHOUT Distancing is happening in too many schools. Wearing masks incorrectly is difficult to keep up with or enforce, and some principals do not believe it is important to enforce this at all.
Both Teachers and Support Staff are being stretched to their limits. New administrators need to be MORE supporve of new teacher struggles and challenges. They also need to be much more aware of Educaon Support Professionals' struggles and challenges. Admin could NOT run a school without ALL necessary staff!! That includes Custodians, Paraprofessionals, Food Service Workers, Bus Drivers, Office managers and Office Staff, and other support service staff like Technicians, ELL Staff, and Grounds, Electricians, Plumbers and other Technical Staff. Let's not forget Central Service staff like Payroll. And our Hero FASA's and Nurses. Social Workers, Reading Strategists, Counselors and Psychologists and Deans. Principals and Assistant Principals run the schools, and hopefully meet challenges that they are there to meet.
Unfortunately, I can say without any doubt, that the way that this new School Year was rolled out and has so far been running, has created much stress, where many employees feel that they are being le hanging out to dry. While perhaps aempts have been made, much more genuine support, guidance and encouragement are needed.
Principals need to step up and make sure ALL students and staff are SAFE!!! That should be the FIRST priority. It is NOT. And because of this teachers and ESPs are walking out. Others are making plans to leave. We are being treated as if we are expendable, and that our safety and well-being are NOT a priority. Remember, a Teacher's Working Environment is a Student' Learning Environment!! And right now that environment is toxic!!! Please fix this!!!
Respecully, Autumn Tampa
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(no subject) 1 message
Roger Harrison Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:34 PM To: [email protected]
Please cease CRT and free our kids from anti science masks NOW
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 10 of 18
'Terri Nordbye' via BoardMtgComments <[email protected]> Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:45 PM
To: [email protected]
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a member of the community who attended the Sept.1 special meeting of the school board who believed I was attending a civilized and safe meeting but this one was anything but that. Not only was it not civil it was in fact appalling, disrespectful and quite frankly frightening. To begin I am a senior citizen who felt I would be among fully masked individuals because I was attending a meeting in a government building where masks are required. At the entrance to the government center there is a sign that clearly states masks are required at all times in the building. But to my amazement many of the attendees either removed their masks or pulled them down the minute they got in their seats. I asked the first person who sat next to me and removed their mask to please put their mask on and they refused. I then went to the head of security, Mike, and told him to ask the person to put their mask on and he told me "It's a mandate and not the law therefore I can't enforce it". Now you can call me crazy but I always thought that a mandate issued by a governor with the power given to them by the legislature in a state of emergency has the same effect as the law. He refused to do anything. A second person sat near me and when I again asked Mike to make them put on their mask he gave me the same answer. So actually this security company has no knowledge of the law and as far as I'm concerned they were pretty useless at this meeting. This battle with wearing the masks continued throughout the entire meeting and got pretty heated and very nasty in some instances. At the beginning of the meeting President Cavazos announced the rules of conduct, no applauding, cheering, yelling, commenting etc. but these people simply ignored this and did all of the above until President Cavazos threatened to have entire rows removed if necessary and did in fact have some individuals removed, mind you reluctantly by the security who were proudly posing for photo ops with them, But that didn't last long and after some period of cooperation they started up again. There were times when I was so upset I had to take a walk in the parking lot to calm down. I just wanted to attend a school board meeting and show my support for the vaccine mandate to protect our children and teachers. I didn't think I would be subjected to abuse and heckling and called nasty names at a school board meeting. On the subject of code of conduct I have read GP-4.1: BOARD MEMBERS' CONDUCT AND ETHICS and it seems to me we have at least one member, Katie Williams, who is in absolute violation of these rules. I have read about her affiliations with the Proud Boys and QANON and saw a recent article in the RJ, where she used a QANON hashtag, the dog whistle, #WWG1WGA, to express her views regarding the vaccine mandate. I have seen her followers social media posts threatening school board members with violence and I believe she is an influence on these people and their actions. She needs to be seriously investigated and reconsidered as a member of our school board. We don't need these kinds of people making decisions in our children's lives and health and safety of everyone attending and or serving in the CCSD. In closing I ask that you please do everything in your power to protect our community, our children and our trustees. Even if it means no longer holding meetings in person. No one in a civilized society should have to be in fear for their lives for expressing their opinion or serving the community in an official capacity. Sincerely, Terri Nordbye
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment
Reference 2.01 Page 11 of 18
Last School board meeting 1 message
Jeri Burton Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:46 PM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Hi - I attended the School Board meeting last Wed. I am concerned about the lack of enforcement on the mask mandate and worried that the security appeared to not be enforcing wearing them and weren’t supporting security requests. Numerous people did not ever wearing a mask and 2 women in front of me never put one on. The security person never asked them to put one on even though he was chatting with several of them. (Pictures attached of the security person and the woman immediately in front of me)
He did tap on his mask and point at a couple people to put theirs over their noses and people in line to speak were asked to put theirs on. He was asked by a couple people to do something and he and another security person over by the door behind him didn’t do anything.
I felt they were not doing their job and was concerned they wouldn’t stop people if things got out of hand and the crowd could not be controlled. I did not feel safe for my health or safety and left after an hour and a half.
I was shocked by the hate speech and am concerned for the safety of the board members and audience members.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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The woman the security guy is talking to had no mask and was never asked to put one on.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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I was behind the woman in the 2nd row who never had a mask on and was never asked to put one on.
-- Jeri Burton President Nevada NOW
-- Jeri Burton President Nevada NOW
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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Written comments for board meeting: Observations from September 1 CCSD board meeting 1 message
Elizabeth Becker Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:51 PM To: [email protected]
Good afternoon Trustees and Superintendent Jara,
In light of continuing threats of violence from those who insist on disrupting board meetings, I wanted to share my experiences from attending last week's emergency meeting discussing the vaccine mandate.
I arrived at 4 pm to find an aggressive crowd outside, including a man wrapped in a Trump flag who interrupted conversations among several of us waiting for the doors to open as he did not like that we were not there to be a part of the protest, but instead to stand in line.
I signed up to speak and conversed with several of the officers posted outside the room and thanked them for keeping us safe. Once we found our seats, a group of 6-8 women all wearing anti-vaccine shirts sat in front of me, two of whom did not have on masks and they were not asked to put them on for the duration of the meeting.
The security officer on our side of the room, (I believe his name was Charles as the ladies in the row in front of us wrote, "Charles for Superintendent," on a poster after posing for pictures with him during the break), did little to contain the outbursts that repeatedly came from the same folks over and over, including shouting during other folks' public comment.
I did not feel safe sitting amongst so many who were clearly not vaccinated and also not wearing masks. Many people brought food and drinks and took their masks off for long periods of time while eating and drinking, which I found to be totally inappropriate.
The woman directly in front of me was especially vocal and called anyone commenting in favor of a mandate an "idiot" loudly while they were speaking. She also loudly spoke to the row behind us about how incompetant she felt both of you specifically were any time either of you spoke into the microphone. Again, security could hear her and did nothing, even though I repeatedly made eye contact and made it known she was being disruptive. She began to text about an hour into the meeting and I could see her phone's screen in its entirety. She texted at one point, "Someone's going to shoot her," in reference to Trustee Cavazos and the other person responded something along the lines of, "Good, glad you will be there to see it."
I immediately got up and alerted the CCSD police officer stationed at the main door. He seemed to take it seriously and left the room. I was shaking at this point and wanted to leave, but felt that leaving would do nothing to protect those left in the room. After nothing happened for almost 30 minutes, the woman sitting with me decided to leave and she asked the officer what was being done. He responded that he told his supervisor and they were monitoring the woman, who continued to text people during the meeting, including Trustee Williams through either Twitter or Facebook Messenger. The women all appeared to personally know Trustee Williams and at one point turned around to tell us that the meeting was called on purpose for that day so that she could not attend.
I have very serious concerns for your safety based on what I saw last week and from the content of the social media pages that these folks are following and maintaining. I did not and still do not understand what the private security company was hired for if they are not going to remove disruptive people from meetings. I never got to make a comment even though I waited 5 and a half hours. My intended comments are below.
Please make sure that these meetings are safe going forward, including by possibly extending the vaccine mandate to these meetings and opening public comment back up on the phones for those who would like to call in and avoid being exposed to the Delta variant by attending these unsafe spaces.
Thank you,
Elizabeth Becker
Good evening Superintendent and members of the board. Thank you for spending an inordinate amount of me listening to all of our voices. My name is Elizabeth Becker and I am a parent of a CCSD elementary student. I am also a former preschool and middle school teacher and have a Bachelors degree in Biology. I support teachers.
I have listened thoughully and with an open mind to more than 4 hours of public comment and have heard much that concerns me, for many reasons. Hearing from representaves from CCEA was especially informave and I share their deep concerns about teacher retenon, impacts on class size, unintended consequences of a mandate, and the logiscs involved if a mandate is passed.
I have heard much about personal choice and freedom, much less about our collecve responsibility to each other, to keep the most vulnerable amongst us safe. I was deeply saddened to hear one commenter state that only X number of children have died from COVID. Each of the 650,000+ deaths from COVID is a tragedy for the families le in its wake. I believe that we each have an obligation to our fellow human beings to do what we can to protect each other, especially from an airborne virus during a global pandemic.
While I am no epidemiologist or immunologist, this April and May I signed up as a local hire for FEMA and worked at the mass vaccine sites at Cashman and the Las Vegas Convenon Center. I was fortunate enough to work with a team of firefighters, SNHD employees, nurses and Naonal Guard troops to administer tens of thousands of vaccines. I have seen with my own eyes how safe and effecve this vaccine is.
Everyone is certainly entled to their own opinion on this topic and is free to share it with you, but you are not obliged to give equal weight to these opinions. I urge you to listen to experts and protect our children too young to be vaccinated. We need to use all of our tools in our toolbox to avoid outbreaks in schools and keep them open. I support a vaccine mandate for teachers and working with the teachers’ union on an effecve rollout.
Thank you again for your transparency and paence. September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment
Reference 2.01 Page 15 of 18
Objections to Sub Services Being Transferred to ESS 1 message
Jennifer Ferre Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:56 PM To: [email protected]
Greetings Esteemed Trustees! I am contacting you today to express my concerns about the recent proposal made to contract substitute services to ESS, a management company located out of state. As a substitute teacher with CCSD for over four years now, I see many potential issues that could arise from this arrangement. I have read through the FAQ answers provided to answer questions and concerns other substitutes have raised, but nowhere did I see mentioned the biggest elephant in the room. If I, as a substitute teacher am no longer to be an employee of CCSD, but rather an ESS employee, I will no longer have an active directory ID or CCSD employee email. Every day that I sub, my active directory ID is required for me to do essential parts of my job. I have to have my active directory ID just to log into the classroom computer which, at bare minimum, allows me to use the Elmo overhead projector. I have to be logged in to the computer to incorporate any technology the teacher is requiring as part of the lesson plan, including videos or slides that need to be up on the projector. Without an active directory ID, I can't even fill out the required EMOCHA form, something that we have recently been reminded will lead to disciplinary action if not completed daily. Without a CCSD email, I cannot connect seamlessly with office staff, administration, or other teachers, who use email to contact me regularly as part of my substitute duties. All of this sounds like an enormous logistic nightmare for me, and for the teachers trying to create lesson plans for me to use. Furthermore, in my recent duties as a long term vacancy substitute, I used my Active Directory ID to log onto at least four sites a day, including Infinite Campus, essential to me being able to do my duties as the teacher. I log into Infinite Campus for tasks as basic as taking attendance and viewing my classroom roster and student information. Many vacancy subs input grades, which, again, requires an Active Directory ID to access both Infinite Campus and Canvas. What is the proposed solution here? Either you will keep substitutes in your system as employees with valid Id to login, or we will not be able to access the databases and sites required to do our jobs. The only other option would be giving access to secure sites to hundreds of people who would now not be employed or vetted by the school district. Would ESS then have access to CCSD sites such as Infinite Campus and Canvas? As both a substitute teacher and a parent of CCSD students, I have many issues with any of those solutions. I have not, in all the information given trying to show the benefits of this switch, found any benefits that outweigh the many issues I see arising from switching to ESS. One of the biggest plugs being made for the switch is that ESS has recruiting capabilities that will somehow bring in hundreds of subs desperately needed in the district. I think if we are being realistic, looking closely at the current conditions we face, it is clear that until Covid and the Delta variant are no longer a major threat in our community, CCSD will continue to struggle to fill teaching and substitute positions. It is just reality. Furthermore, on a personal level, I feel that farming substitutes out to a glorified temp agency reduces our connection and value as essential team members and CCSD employees, and demotes us from professionals employed part time by the school district, to low level temp agency workers. I feel that there is a very real danger of alienating and losing many of the valuable substitute teachers that CCSD already has. All in all, adding in so many unknowns and clear disadvantages to office, administration, and substitutes is a no win situation for everyone, including the teachers and students we, as substitutes are working so hard to serve. I would ask you to vote against transferring substitute services to ESS. Substitute teachers are essential team members and everyone, including teachers and students, will be served better if they stay on the CCSD team. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Jennifer Ferre
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Jason Fader Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 6:50 AM To: [email protected]
Dear Board:
I am writing this email in support of a selection of Anna Binder for the audit advisory committee. She is a great mother to 6 children in our district and from my observation is the only community member who engages parents in a truthful way and attends almost every meeting. She demonstrates knowledge and understanding of our issues.
I trust that she would do very well with this appointment and would be honored to serve the community and our district whole heartedly, honestly, and with honor.
Jason Fader
Page 1 of 18
FW: Updated Health and Safety information 1 message
Hawkins, Tiffany Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 11:13 AM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Dear Mr. Jara and other members of the board,
This is a ridiculous mandate! Soon enough you will mandate that students get a vaccination. We live in America, where we have the freedom to choose. We must all live with the consequences of our choices, on either side of the decision. For you to mandate this is absolutely absurd.
Please reconsider your decision and allow each individual person to make their own choice.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Hawkins
From: Clark County School District Communications Sent: Thursday, September 2, 2021 12:24 PM To: CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT Recipients Subject: Updated Health and Safety information
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Parents,
The health and well-being of our students and staff is the top priority for the Clark County School District (CCSD).
The Board of School Trustees voted to authorize Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara to develop and implement a mandatory vaccination plan through which District employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The plan will include a process for requesting accommodations from the vaccination requirement for either medical conditions or for sincerely held religious beliefs.
This mandate applies only to CCSD employees, and there is no current mandate for students.
Superintendent Jara will develop the plan as rapidly and carefully as possible through consultation with District staff, union representatives, and partners, and we will update you accordingly.
You are receiving this email because of your relationship with CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. If you wish to stop receiving email updates sent through the Blackboard service, please unsubscribe. CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | , , | 702-799-4433
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 2 of 18
Taylor Ormonde Mon, Sep 6, 2021 at 3:04 PM To: [email protected], [email protected]
Dear CCSD Board and Superintendent Jara,
I have a kindergarten student enrolled in a CCSD school. She is 5 years old.. As parents we teach our children to never do something they don’t want to do. To never do something they aren’t comfortable with. That is what good parents do. We never want our children feeling pressured or even forced into doing something that does not align with their beliefs or wants.
What you are doing to our teachers is wrong and immoral. You, CCSD are the pimps, treating our teaching staff as if they were prostitutes. You are forcing them to put something into themselves that they do not agree with or that they do not want. You are threatening their livelihood, taking away their means to pay their bills and feed their children. What about that feels right to you? What are you going to do when teachers walk out and never come back because they do not agree to take this vaccination? Replace them with unqualified, temporary staff members?
If this was your son or daughter being told If they don’t do something then they are being stripped of their job, you would be just as enraged as I am. I will tell you this now, no teacher, student or parent is responsible for YOUR or anyone else’s safety. Each person is responsible for their own precautions. My daughter is not forced to wear a mask to make other students and parents comfortable. My daughter is not and will not be vaccinated for your, the students or the parents peace of mind. The teachers are responsible for their own safety. If they do not want the vaccination, you need to stop pimping them out and forcing them into something they do not want.
Your system is so corrupt. You won’t allow religion into school as to not force a belief. But you force your own physical belief and take away from a person that does not agree. You, CCSD are the abusive spouse to all of your teachers, and that truly makes me sick.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves and your votes.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 3 of 18
Covid Protocols 1 message
Lauren Morgan [Dondero ES] Wed, Sep 8, 2021 at 10:53 PM To: BoardMtgComments <[email protected]>
The lack of consistency and efficacy with which this district is handling the "Covid protocols" is abhorrent, albeit unsurprising. Nothing about what we are doing is safe or secure for our teachers or our students. Students are able to come to school sick with multiple symptoms and nothing is done about it except for MAYBE a phone call home. SPTAs, TFAs, Teachers, Specialists are all having to provide coverage in shifts for teachers or aides who are out which is causing cross-contamination between classrooms and settings.
I work in a preschool setting, last week my TFA was pulled to cover in a different classroom-- the very next day, they found that a student in that room was covid positive. My TFA was exposed to that student and subsequently when she returned to our room, exposed all of us. The teachers and staff in the infected student's class all quarantined, but nothing was done, no notice made to the students in our room.
Why are some classes quarantining while others carry on? Why are teachers being asked to provide coverage in classrooms where the teacher is supposedly home sick with covid symptoms-- these rooms aren't cleaned or sanitized!
At the end of the day, protocols surrounding COVID response should absolutely NOT be at the discretion of site administrators. Contact tracing should be done consistently. Cases should be reported and parents notified. The system for reporting, clearing teachers to return, testing, etc. (emocha) needs to be accessible and efficient. Classes should be contained and quarantines enforced.
All we are asking is safety and security. Please.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
Page 4 of 18
Statement 1 message
Victoria Gonder Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 6:56 AM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Please see attached
Page 5 of 18
Regarding Superintendent Jara’s Disregard for Employee and Student Safety as well as Working Conditions during school year 2021/2022: Observations made by staff at Canyon Springs High School
1) Lack of COVID-19 protocol: classrooms are overfilled with 40-60 students no space between students in the classroom 1500 students take lunch together in the cafeteria rooms are not cleaned on a daily basis (not even once a week) because of the lack of staff no one is held accountable for cleaning lack of social distancing during lunch, passing periods, bathroom breaks the only procedures in place are one-way hallways and masks; however, these are not properly
enforced and abided by Students attend school to receive education. They have a right to receive education. However,
due to the lack of teachers and substitute teachers, several classes of students (40-50 each) are corralled into a “holding pen,” that is, the gym, on a daily basis without instruction.
2) Money has been allocated for class size reductions. However, 5 weeks into the school year, the majority of classes are still overcrowded and unsafe. Inquiries regarding class size reductions remain unanswered. Although teachers are selling their prep periods to allow for further class size reductions, class sizes increase and respective teachers now have an additional class that is overcrowded.
3) Teachers are required to cover the extra classes/classes without staff during prep periods, which reduces/removes valuable planning, preparation, and grading time. In addition, special education teachers cover classes without staff and thus are not able to provide instruction in classes with two designated teachers, that is, students with individual education plans do not receive the services they are entitled to.
4) Teachers do not feel safe. Multiple fights have taken place on campus on a daily basis since the beginning of the school
year. Teachers are facing aggressive behavior of students in the classrooms, cafeteria, and
bathrooms. Teachers are not being supported with respect to disciplining these behaviors. No one answers the phone when calls are made asking for help. This is a safety issue. Teachers are attacked by students, but there is no way to call for help. Groups of students are roaming the hallways and quad during instruction time on a daily
basis, but they are not stopped from doing so nor from continuing these behaviors. There is a lack of hall monitors.
5) The shortage of teachers and qualified staff is, to a large part, due to the lack of competitive salaries and the lack of a contract at this time of the year, that is, 5 weeks into instruction.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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6) Students are losing valuable instruction time due to the lack of bus drivers and buses arriving at school late or not at all.
7) Digital Divide remains evident. Not all students have working chromebooks nor have all students internet at home. Teachers received not directions on how to deal with students who have technical issues with their chromebooks nor where to send them for IT support.
8) Another issue is the lack of proper contributions from the district into the funds to the teacher’s health trust, although more money was allocated by the legislature. Where does the money go?
9) Lack of transparency regarding the budget Policies are created without teacher/staff input Many of the policies are time-consuming and neither data-driven nor effective Money is spent on unimportant things, not allocated for teaching the kids
10) Grading reform could have been rolled out more appropriately
All these observations reflect the lack of appropriate management by Superintendent Jara.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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Vaccine mandate 1 message
To: [email protected]
1) The board needs to remember they are here to serve, not to advance personal agendas. The public has voiced our wishes to not require teachers to risk their health by forcing experimental vaccines. There will be lawsuits by teachers if any area fired for noncompliance. ALSO, we cannot afford to lose teachers!
2) I do not accept a high school graduate as a certified teacher. It is unacceptable to not require a teaching degree for substitute teachers.
Janine
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Public Comments-Agenda Item 2.01 1 message
Autumn Tampa [ELLD] Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 11:24 AM To: BoardMtgComments <[email protected]>, BoardOfTrustees <[email protected]>
Wrien and Spoken Public Comments for CCSD Board meeng on 9-9-2021 5:00pm
Agenda Item 2.01 Non-Agenda Item-Climate and Culture
While parcipang in our monthly ESEA meeng, what I believe and feel about some crical CCSD challenges became clear. I talk in person, and I talk online to many CCSD employees. I also belong to 6 CCSD Employee Facebook groups. Many are saying the same thing. CCSD NEEDS to listen to what Bargaining Agents are saying, and to what all of its employees are saying!!
First, many schools are NOT safe right now. Distancing is NOT being done at many schools because of staff shortages and lack of example, encouragement or enforcement by building principals and their respecve Associate Superintendents. Crowding students into classrooms and small group sengs WITHOUT Distancing is happening in too many schools. Wearing masks incorrectly is difficult to keep up with or enforce, and some principals do not believe it is important to enforce this at all.
Both Teachers and Support Staff are being stretched to their limits. New administrators need to be MORE supporve of new teacher struggles and challenges. They also need to be much more aware of Educaon Support Professionals' struggles and challenges. Admin could NOT run a school without ALL necessary staff!! That includes Custodians, Paraprofessionals, Food Service Workers, Bus Drivers, Office managers and Office Staff, and other support service staff like Technicians, ELL Staff, and Grounds, Electricians, Plumbers and other Technical Staff. Let's not forget Central Service staff like Payroll. And our Hero FASA's and Nurses. Social Workers, Reading Strategists, Counselors and Psychologists and Deans. Principals and Assistant Principals run the schools, and hopefully meet challenges that they are there to meet.
Unfortunately, I can say without any doubt, that the way that this new School Year was rolled out and has so far been running, has created much stress, where many employees feel that they are being le hanging out to dry. While perhaps aempts have been made, much more genuine support, guidance and encouragement are needed.
Principals need to step up and make sure ALL students and staff are SAFE!!! That should be the FIRST priority. It is NOT. And because of this teachers and ESPs are walking out. Others are making plans to leave. We are being treated as if we are expendable, and that our safety and well-being are NOT a priority. Remember, a Teacher's Working Environment is a Student' Learning Environment!! And right now that environment is toxic!!! Please fix this!!!
Respecully, Autumn Tampa
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(no subject) 1 message
Roger Harrison Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:34 PM To: [email protected]
Please cease CRT and free our kids from anti science masks NOW
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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'Terri Nordbye' via BoardMtgComments <[email protected]> Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:45 PM
To: [email protected]
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a member of the community who attended the Sept.1 special meeting of the school board who believed I was attending a civilized and safe meeting but this one was anything but that. Not only was it not civil it was in fact appalling, disrespectful and quite frankly frightening. To begin I am a senior citizen who felt I would be among fully masked individuals because I was attending a meeting in a government building where masks are required. At the entrance to the government center there is a sign that clearly states masks are required at all times in the building. But to my amazement many of the attendees either removed their masks or pulled them down the minute they got in their seats. I asked the first person who sat next to me and removed their mask to please put their mask on and they refused. I then went to the head of security, Mike, and told him to ask the person to put their mask on and he told me "It's a mandate and not the law therefore I can't enforce it". Now you can call me crazy but I always thought that a mandate issued by a governor with the power given to them by the legislature in a state of emergency has the same effect as the law. He refused to do anything. A second person sat near me and when I again asked Mike to make them put on their mask he gave me the same answer. So actually this security company has no knowledge of the law and as far as I'm concerned they were pretty useless at this meeting. This battle with wearing the masks continued throughout the entire meeting and got pretty heated and very nasty in some instances. At the beginning of the meeting President Cavazos announced the rules of conduct, no applauding, cheering, yelling, commenting etc. but these people simply ignored this and did all of the above until President Cavazos threatened to have entire rows removed if necessary and did in fact have some individuals removed, mind you reluctantly by the security who were proudly posing for photo ops with them, But that didn't last long and after some period of cooperation they started up again. There were times when I was so upset I had to take a walk in the parking lot to calm down. I just wanted to attend a school board meeting and show my support for the vaccine mandate to protect our children and teachers. I didn't think I would be subjected to abuse and heckling and called nasty names at a school board meeting. On the subject of code of conduct I have read GP-4.1: BOARD MEMBERS' CONDUCT AND ETHICS and it seems to me we have at least one member, Katie Williams, who is in absolute violation of these rules. I have read about her affiliations with the Proud Boys and QANON and saw a recent article in the RJ, where she used a QANON hashtag, the dog whistle, #WWG1WGA, to express her views regarding the vaccine mandate. I have seen her followers social media posts threatening school board members with violence and I believe she is an influence on these people and their actions. She needs to be seriously investigated and reconsidered as a member of our school board. We don't need these kinds of people making decisions in our children's lives and health and safety of everyone attending and or serving in the CCSD. In closing I ask that you please do everything in your power to protect our community, our children and our trustees. Even if it means no longer holding meetings in person. No one in a civilized society should have to be in fear for their lives for expressing their opinion or serving the community in an official capacity. Sincerely, Terri Nordbye
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment
Reference 2.01 Page 11 of 18
Last School board meeting 1 message
Jeri Burton Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:46 PM To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Hi - I attended the School Board meeting last Wed. I am concerned about the lack of enforcement on the mask mandate and worried that the security appeared to not be enforcing wearing them and weren’t supporting security requests. Numerous people did not ever wearing a mask and 2 women in front of me never put one on. The security person never asked them to put one on even though he was chatting with several of them. (Pictures attached of the security person and the woman immediately in front of me)
He did tap on his mask and point at a couple people to put theirs over their noses and people in line to speak were asked to put theirs on. He was asked by a couple people to do something and he and another security person over by the door behind him didn’t do anything.
I felt they were not doing their job and was concerned they wouldn’t stop people if things got out of hand and the crowd could not be controlled. I did not feel safe for my health or safety and left after an hour and a half.
I was shocked by the hate speech and am concerned for the safety of the board members and audience members.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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The woman the security guy is talking to had no mask and was never asked to put one on.
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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I was behind the woman in the 2nd row who never had a mask on and was never asked to put one on.
-- Jeri Burton President Nevada NOW
-- Jeri Burton President Nevada NOW
September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment Reference 2.01
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Written comments for board meeting: Observations from September 1 CCSD board meeting 1 message
Elizabeth Becker Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:51 PM To: [email protected]
Good afternoon Trustees and Superintendent Jara,
In light of continuing threats of violence from those who insist on disrupting board meetings, I wanted to share my experiences from attending last week's emergency meeting discussing the vaccine mandate.
I arrived at 4 pm to find an aggressive crowd outside, including a man wrapped in a Trump flag who interrupted conversations among several of us waiting for the doors to open as he did not like that we were not there to be a part of the protest, but instead to stand in line.
I signed up to speak and conversed with several of the officers posted outside the room and thanked them for keeping us safe. Once we found our seats, a group of 6-8 women all wearing anti-vaccine shirts sat in front of me, two of whom did not have on masks and they were not asked to put them on for the duration of the meeting.
The security officer on our side of the room, (I believe his name was Charles as the ladies in the row in front of us wrote, "Charles for Superintendent," on a poster after posing for pictures with him during the break), did little to contain the outbursts that repeatedly came from the same folks over and over, including shouting during other folks' public comment.
I did not feel safe sitting amongst so many who were clearly not vaccinated and also not wearing masks. Many people brought food and drinks and took their masks off for long periods of time while eating and drinking, which I found to be totally inappropriate.
The woman directly in front of me was especially vocal and called anyone commenting in favor of a mandate an "idiot" loudly while they were speaking. She also loudly spoke to the row behind us about how incompetant she felt both of you specifically were any time either of you spoke into the microphone. Again, security could hear her and did nothing, even though I repeatedly made eye contact and made it known she was being disruptive. She began to text about an hour into the meeting and I could see her phone's screen in its entirety. She texted at one point, "Someone's going to shoot her," in reference to Trustee Cavazos and the other person responded something along the lines of, "Good, glad you will be there to see it."
I immediately got up and alerted the CCSD police officer stationed at the main door. He seemed to take it seriously and left the room. I was shaking at this point and wanted to leave, but felt that leaving would do nothing to protect those left in the room. After nothing happened for almost 30 minutes, the woman sitting with me decided to leave and she asked the officer what was being done. He responded that he told his supervisor and they were monitoring the woman, who continued to text people during the meeting, including Trustee Williams through either Twitter or Facebook Messenger. The women all appeared to personally know Trustee Williams and at one point turned around to tell us that the meeting was called on purpose for that day so that she could not attend.
I have very serious concerns for your safety based on what I saw last week and from the content of the social media pages that these folks are following and maintaining. I did not and still do not understand what the private security company was hired for if they are not going to remove disruptive people from meetings. I never got to make a comment even though I waited 5 and a half hours. My intended comments are below.
Please make sure that these meetings are safe going forward, including by possibly extending the vaccine mandate to these meetings and opening public comment back up on the phones for those who would like to call in and avoid being exposed to the Delta variant by attending these unsafe spaces.
Thank you,
Elizabeth Becker
Good evening Superintendent and members of the board. Thank you for spending an inordinate amount of me listening to all of our voices. My name is Elizabeth Becker and I am a parent of a CCSD elementary student. I am also a former preschool and middle school teacher and have a Bachelors degree in Biology. I support teachers.
I have listened thoughully and with an open mind to more than 4 hours of public comment and have heard much that concerns me, for many reasons. Hearing from representaves from CCEA was especially informave and I share their deep concerns about teacher retenon, impacts on class size, unintended consequences of a mandate, and the logiscs involved if a mandate is passed.
I have heard much about personal choice and freedom, much less about our collecve responsibility to each other, to keep the most vulnerable amongst us safe. I was deeply saddened to hear one commenter state that only X number of children have died from COVID. Each of the 650,000+ deaths from COVID is a tragedy for the families le in its wake. I believe that we each have an obligation to our fellow human beings to do what we can to protect each other, especially from an airborne virus during a global pandemic.
While I am no epidemiologist or immunologist, this April and May I signed up as a local hire for FEMA and worked at the mass vaccine sites at Cashman and the Las Vegas Convenon Center. I was fortunate enough to work with a team of firefighters, SNHD employees, nurses and Naonal Guard troops to administer tens of thousands of vaccines. I have seen with my own eyes how safe and effecve this vaccine is.
Everyone is certainly entled to their own opinion on this topic and is free to share it with you, but you are not obliged to give equal weight to these opinions. I urge you to listen to experts and protect our children too young to be vaccinated. We need to use all of our tools in our toolbox to avoid outbreaks in schools and keep them open. I support a vaccine mandate for teachers and working with the teachers’ union on an effecve rollout.
Thank you again for your transparency and paence. September 9, 2021 Written Public Comment
Reference 2.01 Page 15 of 18
Objections to Sub Services Being Transferred to ESS 1 message
Jennifer Ferre Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 12:56 PM To: [email protected]
Greetings Esteemed Trustees! I am contacting you today to express my concerns about the recent proposal made to contract substitute services to ESS, a management company located out of state. As a substitute teacher with CCSD for over four years now, I see many potential issues that could arise from this arrangement. I have read through the FAQ answers provided to answer questions and concerns other substitutes have raised, but nowhere did I see mentioned the biggest elephant in the room. If I, as a substitute teacher am no longer to be an employee of CCSD, but rather an ESS employee, I will no longer have an active directory ID or CCSD employee email. Every day that I sub, my active directory ID is required for me to do essential parts of my job. I have to have my active directory ID just to log into the classroom computer which, at bare minimum, allows me to use the Elmo overhead projector. I have to be logged in to the computer to incorporate any technology the teacher is requiring as part of the lesson plan, including videos or slides that need to be up on the projector. Without an active directory ID, I can't even fill out the required EMOCHA form, something that we have recently been reminded will lead to disciplinary action if not completed daily. Without a CCSD email, I cannot connect seamlessly with office staff, administration, or other teachers, who use email to contact me regularly as part of my substitute duties. All of this sounds like an enormous logistic nightmare for me, and for the teachers trying to create lesson plans for me to use. Furthermore, in my recent duties as a long term vacancy substitute, I used my Active Directory ID to log onto at least four sites a day, including Infinite Campus, essential to me being able to do my duties as the teacher. I log into Infinite Campus for tasks as basic as taking attendance and viewing my classroom roster and student information. Many vacancy subs input grades, which, again, requires an Active Directory ID to access both Infinite Campus and Canvas. What is the proposed solution here? Either you will keep substitutes in your system as employees with valid Id to login, or we will not be able to access the databases and sites required to do our jobs. The only other option would be giving access to secure sites to hundreds of people who would now not be employed or vetted by the school district. Would ESS then have access to CCSD sites such as Infinite Campus and Canvas? As both a substitute teacher and a parent of CCSD students, I have many issues with any of those solutions. I have not, in all the information given trying to show the benefits of this switch, found any benefits that outweigh the many issues I see arising from switching to ESS. One of the biggest plugs being made for the switch is that ESS has recruiting capabilities that will somehow bring in hundreds of subs desperately needed in the district. I think if we are being realistic, looking closely at the current conditions we face, it is clear that until Covid and the Delta variant are no longer a major threat in our community, CCSD will continue to struggle to fill teaching and substitute positions. It is just reality. Furthermore, on a personal level, I feel that farming substitutes out to a glorified temp agency reduces our connection and value as essential team members and CCSD employees, and demotes us from professionals employed part time by the school district, to low level temp agency workers. I feel that there is a very real danger of alienating and losing many of the valuable substitute teachers that CCSD already has. All in all, adding in so many unknowns and clear disadvantages to office, administration, and substitutes is a no win situation for everyone, including the teachers and students we, as substitutes are working so hard to serve. I would ask you to vote against transferring substitute services to ESS. Substitute teachers are essential team members and everyone, including teachers and students, will be served better if they stay on the CCSD team. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Jennifer Ferre
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