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
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
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
Page 9 of 18
(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
Page 12 of 18
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
Page 13 of 18
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
Page 14 of 18
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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