Express Mar-Apr2015_Layout 1 3/26/15 9:27 PM Page 1
Vol. 15, Issue 3
March/April 2015
Educators Step Up
Becoming the Voice of Public Education
Our Goal: Secure MORE Funding for Our Schools & Students
T
he 2015 Session of the
Nevada Legislature began
on Monday, February 2nd,
and right from the start,
legislators have been hearing
from Clark County teachers.
Our message: You must work
in a bipartisan approach to
pass funding that meets the
needs of today’s classrooms.
Our active and visible
engagement kicked off on day 1
of the session, February 2:
Opening day was marked by
more than 5,000 emails from
teachers – just like you –
demonstrating their support for
Governor Sandoval’s bold
leadership to improve our schools
and our state. The email was also
copied to leadership in the Senate
and the Assembly, urging them to
stand with the Governor to help
build the new Nevada — a Nevada
where education is the top
priority.
This was the first step in
letting the Governor and
legislators know that teachers are
committed and would be out in
full force, urging them to follow
through on their promises and
make education funding the top
priority.
February 12: When Treasurer
Dan Schwartz stepped before the
bipartisan Senate Finance
Committee to make a presentation
on his “alternative” state budget,
his confidence was shaken.
Educators had sent more than 700
emails on the eve of his
presentation— strongly opposing
his alternative proposal to the
Governor’s budget.
Schwartz struggled for what
was without a doubt the longest
90 minutes of his life,
backtracking on previous
statements, claiming he never said
things he obviously said.
Throughout his painful
presentation, Schwartz showed his
lack of knowledge about the state
budget and could not explain the
rationale for his ideas. He was
pummeled by legislators, advocacy
organizations such as CCEA, and
parents — all decrying his illconceived “alternate budget” as it
does not increase education by a
single penny and aims to take
away support and anti-bullying
efforts.
Educators’ swift action helped
set the tone for the counterattack.
February 13: The news of the
introduction of SB133, a bill that
authorizes the reimbursement of
teachers for certain out-of-pocket
expenses and would create the
Teachers’ School Supplies
Reimbursement Account,
was greeted with great
support by Clark County
teachers who quickly sprang
into action over the 3-day
weekend, sending more than
2,300 emails to Senators
Michael Roberson, Becky
Harris, Greg Brower, Patricia
Farley and Mark Lipparelli to
thank them for taking the
first step in ensuring that
teachers do not carry this
burden.
The bill takes a first step
in lessening the burden.
February 28: We learned that
AB190, a bill that threatens to
severely destabilize the Public
Employees’ Retirement System
(PERS) would be heard before the
Assembly Committee on
Government Affairs on March 3rd.
We sent a call to action and close
to 13,000 emails were sent to
Committee members, urging them
to vote NO on AB190, as it would
break the promise made by Nevada
to public employees and put
educators’ retirement benefit at
risk.
March 2: Thousands buttonup for Education Awareness Day,
calling on legislators to provide
“MORE for Our Students.”
Well, Clark County may be
hundreds of miles away from the
legislative hallways, but you
wouldn’t have known that on
March 2nd, when more than
12,000 teaching professionals
from hundreds of worksites
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2015 CCEA Elections
One hundred twenty-six members elected
to local, state, and national positions
In a process that began with the closing of nominations during the December
2014 Association Representative (AR) Council meeting and concluded with
the ratification of run-off election results at the March 24, 2015 AR Council
meeting, the results of the 2015 CCEA Elections are:
• CCEA Executive Officers: (2-year term)
Secretary - Marie Thrower
Treasurer - Robert Hollowood
• CCEA Executive Board (2-year term):
Seat 1A - Jim Frazee
Seat 2A - Don Kimura
Seat 3A - Richard Tellier
Seat 4A - Sally Bain
Seat 5A - Loretta Harper
• NSEA Board of Directors (3-year term):
Seat G - Tamara S. Hudson
Seat H - Rob Benson
Seat I - Stephanie G. Bell
Seat J - Tyrone L. McMullins
Seat K - Michael Peck
Seat L - Cassandra W. Bell
• CCEA TIP Coordinating Council (2-year term)
Cassandra W. Bell
Jim Frazee
Loretta Harper
Wanda Keith
Jennifer Webb-Cook
• Delegates to NSEA Delegate Assembly (2-year term)
Seventy (70) delegates were elected in this election cycle. These
delegates will be part of the 153-member delegation attending the NSEA
Delegate Assembly in Reno, Nevada this year.
• State and Local Delegates to NEA Representative Assembly (2-year
term)
Two groups of delegates were elected — state and local.
— Four (4) delegates are joining the State/NSEA Delegates to NEA
Representative Assembly. These positions are funded by NSEA.
— Thirty-four (34) delegates have been elected to join the
Local/CCEA Delegates to NEA Representative Assembly. These
positions are funded by CCEA.
Page 2 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
Legislators Need to Pass More Funding............p7
NSEA/CCEA Legislative Priorities......................p10
Education Awareness Day ............................p12-15
Member Benefits & Special Discounts.......p16-18
The Armenian Genocide .....................................p18
2015 CCEA Awards Nominations .......................p19
by Vikki Courtney
Educators Do “More for Our Students!”
March 30, 2015
Educators Lobby in Carson City
April 3, 2015
Good Friday
Passover (begins @ sunset 4/2)
** CCEA Offices Closed **
April 5, 2015
Easter Sunday
April 6, 2015
Classes Resume
April 7, 2015
CCEA Executive Board Mtg.
April 8-9, 2015
CCEA Caucuses for NSEA DA
April 9, 2015
CCSD School Board Mtg.
April 21, 2015
CCEA Executive Board Mtg.
April 22, 2015
Administrative Professionals Day
Earth Day
April 23, 2015
CCSD School Board Mtg.
April 24-26, 2015
NSEA Delegate Assembly — Reno
April 28, 2015
CCEA Association Rep Council Mtg.
May 3-9, 2015
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 5, 2014
Teacher Appreciation Day
Cinco de Mayo
May 10, 2015
Mother’s Day
May 14, 2015
CCSD School Board Mtg.
May 23, 2015
Shavuot (begins @ sunset 5/22)
In This Issue:
From the President’s Desk
March 30-April 3, 2015
Spring Break
May 16, 2015
CCEA Executive Board Mtg.
Congratulations to all!
Educators Step Up for Public Education............p1
CCEA Election Results ...........................................p2
From the President’s Desk ....................................p3
Building a Robust Teacher Pipeline ....................p4
Above & Beyond the Call of Duty Award ...........p6
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
May 25, 2015
Memorial Day
** CCEA Offices Closed **
May 26, 2015
CCEA Association Rep Council Mtg.
www.ccea-nv.org
E
ducators always
“do more for our
students!” We
demonstrate this
over and over. We show
up and get it done
because we care. This
legislative session we have
asked for more and our actions
are paying off!
The session began with us,
CCEA, asking you to support
the Governor’s leadership with
a plan that changes the
revenue system and the
education system in Nevada.
Your action on the first day of
the session flooded Democrat
and Republican legislators with
emails showing your support
for the Governor’s plan to
move Nevada forward. Your
voice was heard loud and clear!
You continued to act by
telling Nevada State Treasurer
Schwartz that his plan for our
students and the education
system was unacceptable. He
left the building with his plan
in shreds, because of you.
Next, you buttoned up on
Education Awareness Day and
we filled the capital with your
shout of “MORE for Our
Students!” We have called on
you to act at a moment’s
notice on PERS and collective
bargaining legislation that
would have a negative effect on
your working conditions. You
stepped up and your collective
voice has roared!
Last week, CCEA stood
with our business and
community partners — the Las
Vegas Global Economic
Alliance, the Council for a
Better Nevada, Nevadans for
the Common Good, the Urban
www.ccea-nv.org
Action expresses priorities.
— Mahatma Ghandi
Chamber, the Latin Chamber
Chamber of Commerce, the
Asian Chamber of Commerce,
H.O.P.E. and Better Education
Today — in support of
Governor Sandoval’s business
license fee (BLF) plan that will
provide Southern Nevada
schools with much needed
funding and resources.
Funding, PERS, and
collective bargaining will
always be our bread and butter
issues. We will need you to
continue to speak out on these
priorities throughout this
session.
We are doing more this
session. We have priorities that
we believe will give us a greater
voice in our profession, and in
our work as educators. Let’s
take a look at some of these
priorities.
their instruction. CCEA began
this work because teachers are
the closest to the work of
educating our students, so
who better to provide the
training than those who work
with students every day and
know firsthand how to deliver
that expert instruction.
This bill will recognize
CCEA as having the authority
to contract with the District to
be a PD provider not only
outside of the school day, but
also on the school district’s
designated staff development
days.
Your support of this
priority legislation will give
educators the support needed
in the classroom, provided by
colleagues, who actually know
what happens inside today’s
classroom.
Senate Bill (SB) 226 –
sponsored by Senators Farley,
Hardy, Woodhouse, Harris, and
Atkinson “authorizes a
professional organization of
teachers to provide
professional development
training to teachers and
administrators.”
CCEA has, for the past two
years, been providing
professional development (PD)
to educators through its
Professional Learning
Program. More than 2,000
educators have taken
advantage of this professional
development to help improve
SB332, sponsored by
Senators Roberson, Ford and
Hammond, is another CCEA
priority. This will provide
funding for the Peer
Assistance and Review
(PAR) program in CCSD over
the 2015–2017 biennium.
CCEA has worked with
CCSD since October of 2014 to
establish peer assistance for
educators. PAR provides that
all new teachers to the
profession, without experience,
are assigned a Consulting
Teacher (CT) and included in
the PAR program. These
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Dear State Assemblyman/Senator,
The Vice President’s Corner
We represent a broad and diverse group of Nevada stakeholders who began meeting in the fall of 2014 to discuss possible
solutions to the social and economic implications of teacher shortages in Nevada.
by Theo Small
The severity of the teacher shortage, particularly in Southern Nevada, is well-known. The Clark County School District
began the 2014-2015 school year with over 700 unfilled professional teaching vacancies, and currently still has over 600
vacancies. While all students are impacted in one way or another, the vast majority of classroom vacancies are in schools
serving children living in poverty and disproportionately impact children in homes where English is not a primary language.
Building a Robust Teacher Pipeline
A
s I was flying back from a
meeting in Dallas over the
weekend, I opened up
Southwest The Magazine and
turned to a full-page advertisement
of the Clark County School District
that read: CALLING ALL
HEROES!!! It had a graphic of a
Superman-like figure whose shirt
read TEACH VEGAS and with an
APPLY TO TEACH TODAY! CAPE
INCLUDED line directed them to
www.Teach.Vegas.
I paused to think about the
thousands of travelers who read
this magazine around the country
and what must go through their
heads when they read, “HAVE A
DEGREE, NOT IN TEACHING?
NO PROBLEM! BECOME A HERO
IN LIGHTNING SPEED…” It goes
further to say that as CCSD
employee, you will be able to
change lives.
I have to acknowledge that you
change and impact lives each day,
including those of you who provide
daily support to the nearly 700
long-term substitutes currently at
your sites.
CCEA has joined other
community organizations this past
year to change our narrative from
having to beg for anyone who will
teach in Vegas, to impacting our
system to become a district where
the best educators around the
country would be honored to work.
Page 5 contains a letter that
this consortium — The Nevada
Consortium on the Teacher
Pipeline — sent to legislators
addressing both short term “fixes”
and longer-term support systems.
As we move through this
legislative session and continue
through negotiations, please
continue to keep your voices,
stories, and input strong.
You matter and your work
on behalf of students matters.
Page 4 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
The Nevada Consortium on the
Teacher Pipeline
These organizations are members of The Nevada Consortium
on the Teacher Pipeline and support the policies and practices
mentioned in the letter, as part of the collective voice of this
Consortium.
Andre Agassi Foundation for Education
Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada
Clark County School District
Clark County Association of School Administrators
Clark County Black Caucus
Clark County Education Association
Clark County Education District Association
Clark County Public Education Foundation
College of Southern Nevada
Communities in Schools of Nevada
Grand Canyon University
Great Basin College
HOPE (Honoring Our Public Education)
Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance
Latin Chamber of Commerce, Education Committee
Latino Leadership Council
Lincy Institute, University of Nevada Las Vegas
National University
Nevada Coalition to Address Personnel Shortages in Special
Education and Related Services
Nevada Partners
Nevada PTA
Nevada State College
Nevada State Education Association
Nevada Succeeds
Nevada System of Higher Education
Nevadans for the Common Good
Political Advancement of Latinos
Proact Search
The SUPES Academy
Sierra Nevada College
TNTP (The New Teacher Project)
Teach for America
Touro University Nevada
United Way of Southern Nevada
University of Nevada Las Vegas College of Education
University of Nevada Reno
Western Governors University
Wynn Resorts
www.ccea-nv.org
The Nevada Consortium on the Teacher Pipeline includes individuals representing various organizations, viewpoints, and
perspectives from the broadest possible range of constituencies. The group was founded on the belief that the teacher
shortage is a complex and community-wide problem and that effective solutions must be similarly sophisticated. As of
February 2015, the Consortium has convened four times and, in this short period, close to 100 individuals have participated.
The goal of the Consortium is to identify key policies and interventions to elevate the teacher pipeline crisis. In its February
meeting, the Consortium was able to reach majority agreement on six legislative items that, we believe, are likely to help
ease the teacher shortage in Nevada. Each of these legislative items is noted below.
1) The Consortium supports the Great Teaching and Leading Fund (BDR 1183) as it includes competitive grants to teacher
provider programs. We believe this fund will be one building block to help attract, prepare, and retain high quality
educators for Nevada’s schools.
2) The Consortium supports College and Career Readiness grants, particularly to the extent that the grants will provide aid
for high schools in offering innovative programs targeted to improve the graduation rate and readiness upon exit. The
funds of this grant could be used to help support Clark County School District to attract bright and talented students and
provide them with advanced and cutting edge training to re-enter the Clark County School District as effective and
vibrant educators ready to affect the next generation of students.
3) The Consortium supports the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program. We believe that this bill will provide both
additional support for teachers as they work to grow professionally and additional opportunities to assume leadership
within their schools. Both of these have the potential to help retain the most talented individuals in the profession.
4) The Consortium supports Ability to Hire Non-Residents in High Need Areas (AB 27). There are a number of licensed
educators in neighboring countries and non-U.S. citizens currently living in Nevada who are interested in teaching in the
Clark County School District. To the extent AB 27 makes it easier for nonresident individuals to become licensed, the bill
increase the availability of qualified teachers.
5) The Consortium supports Modernizing the Nevada Plan to include more resources and appropriate weights. This new
plan would produce equity statewide and help improve the student-teacher ratio. While the Plan does not directly
provide support for new teachers, increasing resources available for students and teachers in the State’s highest needs
schools will improve retention of qualified teachers in schools.
6) The Consortium supports Temporary Teacher License (AB 55). This bill allows teachers who were licensed in other
states to teach for 6 months in Nevada, until they meet all of our state’s requirements.
The above educational items are representative of what a majority of the Consortium members support; however there
were additional education items of importance to mention. While the following legislative items are not directly connected
to the teacher pipeline, the Consortium members believe they are important for Nevada’s children. These bills include:
Social Worker Grants, Creation of Victory Schools, Expansion of Zoom Schools Program, Expansion of Full Day
Kindergarten and the amended SB 128 on the Millennium Scholarship.
The Consortium believes that by supporting the above-mentioned educational items, we as a community can build a robust
teacher pipeline delivering quality education to our children in the State of Nevada. We hope that you will take our
endorsement of the above items into consideration for the upcoming legislative meeting and that we continue to have an
open pathway of communication going forward.
Sincerely,
The Nevada Consortium on the Teacher Pipeline Committee
www.ccea-nv.org
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ABOVE & BEYOND
THE CALL OF DUTY
Do you go the extra mile
for your minority
students?
Do you know someone
else who does?
The CCEA Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee presents the 16th
annual “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award”
nomination process.
This award aims to recognize and pay tribute to CCEA
members who have gone “Above and Beyond the Call of
Duty” in working with ethnic minority students.
Criteria for nomination:
1. The nominee must be a CCEA member and nominated by a
CCEA member.
2. The nominee voluntarily gave time to his/her school while
working with ethnic minority students on projects that are
“Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.”
3. The nominee promoted cultural awareness through
projects while working with ethnic minority students on
projects which are “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.”
4. The nominee participated in activities outside of the
instructional day that positively affected the educational
process of ethnic minority students without receiving
compensation.
5. The nominee performed duties outside of his/her
contractual responsibilities due to extenuating
circumstances while working with ethnic minority students.
To download the nomination form, visit www.ccea-nv.org. A
one-page detailed description of the activity the nominee is
involved in, and how it impacts ethnic minority students, must
accompany the nomination form.
Nomination forms must be received at CCEA by 6:00 p.m. on
Friday, April 10, 2015. If you should have any questions,
please contact EMAC chairpersons Tyrone McMullins or Pam
Avdoian through Interact.
Page 6 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
From the President’s Desk
(continued from page 3)
Message from the Executive Director
teachers will receive formal, systematic
support during their first year from their CT,
and are assessed by both the CT and school
administration. A memorandum of
understanding (MOU) was reached and Peer
Assistance for new teachers in the Turn
Around Zone was established beginning in
2015. Teachers that are new to teaching
need the direct, ongoing, yearlong support
that this program will provide. We will ask
you to help move this bill forward to keep
teachers in the profession by ensuring that
they receive every advantage possible to do
their best.
by John Vellardita
Legislators Need to Pass More Funding
for Our Schools
Two months of the 78th
Session of the Nevada
Legislature are over and
the struggle to pass a bill
to fund education is fast
approaching, but it is not
done. The Governor has
proposed $438 million in
additional funding for
public education. He has
proposed a business
license fee increase (SB
252) that has been
endorsed by three former
Nevada Governors, key
business leaders, and a
number of legislators. But
the debate continues. The
Republican Assembly has
introduced another funding
proposal to add another
$70 million. The Senate
Democrats have also
introduced a measure to
increase funding for
education. In the end it will
take bipartisan support to
pass any funding measure
and the forces of
opposition know it. Antieducation business leaders
are leading the way to
prevent any tax from being
adopted and the anti-tax
conservatives in both
Houses are right there with
them. This will be a tough
struggle to win.
We want to see the
Governor’s budget passed.
We also want to find
additional revenue to
address serious issues like
the teacher shortage in
Clark County. The
unprecedented use of longterm subs at an
unacceptable scale (650
this year alone) has to end.
CCSD will continue to not
be competitive in hiring
SB8, the bill that could revise the
student test score percentage on the
evaluation of licensed educational personnel
and administrators, was scheduled for a
hearing on February 5th. It has not been
rescheduled for a hearing yet. Be on alert for
a message from us, if action is needed.
This session has the promise of
providing significant funding, as well as
professional support for educators. Our
success will be determined by each of us
keeping our focus on the priorities that will
make a difference for our future. I ask you
all to continue to take action on these
priorities to ensure that there is MORE
for education when the session ends on
June 1st.
Volume 15, Issue 3
March/April 2015
The CCEA Express is an official publication of the
Clark County Education Association (CCEA), 4230
McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89121. It is published
8 times a year (August through June/July). The
publication’s goal is to keep Association members
abreast of issues affecting public education and to
provide economic benefits.
Vikki Courtney
Theo Small
Cindy K. Johnson
Cassandra W. Bell
John Vellardita
Letty Elias
Valeria Gurr
Sharon Whalum
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Executive Director
Editor/Layout/Design
Editorial Assistant
Contributor
www.ccea-nv.org
www.ccea-nv.org
“... we will
defend and advance
the interests of our
profession,
including our
retirement and
collective
bargaining.”
qualified teachers if our
outdated salary schedule
goes without fixing. We can
build new schools, have
money for new programs,
but if in the end we are not
filling those classrooms
with qualified teachers,
then how will student
achievement improve?
Addressing the teacher
recruitment and retention
issue is critical to our
students’ success. To that
end we will work with both
parties to accomplish this
because it will take
bipartisan support to pass
anything.
CCEA is working with
everyone who supports
funding education:
business leaders,
community organizations,
and education
stakeholders. Our objective
is simple: get funding
passed in this session. We
have publicly stated that
and continue with our
legislative campaign to
accomplish it.
Hundreds of educators
and support staff went to
Carson City on March 30th
to show support for
funding education. CCEA
members were well
represented. We had an
educator’s lobby day,
meetings with legislators,
and delivered thousands of
postcards signed by
teaching professionals from
schools across the district
demanding this legislative
session adopt more funding
for our schools. Hundreds
of educators had a private
meeting with the Governor
who shared his plan and
vision and took questions
from our members about
our issues and concerns.
We discussed the
conditions in the
classrooms, the teacher
shortage, and other critical
issues educators face every
day. We made it clear that
we are part of the solution
to improve Nevada’s
schools, and the Governor
agreed.
However, there are antieducator elements
advocating that our
collective bargaining and
PERS should be seriously
compromised in exchange
for funding. They call that
discussion “reform.” Some
of the more dangerous bills
are not coming from right
wing ideologues, but
actually coming from local
government management.
They are joining the chorus
of weakening collective
bargaining or protecting
general funds from
negotiations. CCSD has
been part of that—they
(continues on page 9)
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Educators Step Up
(continued from page 1)
demonstrated their support for
increased education funding by
wearing the “MORE for Our
Students” button during the day
designated by the Legislature as
Education Awareness Day.
Our message to legislators:
Clark County teachers stand
united in support of education
funding that meets the needs of
today’s classrooms and schools.
The button-up action by
thousands of educators once
again demonstrated our
commitment to help secure more
funding for our schools — and in
great numbers, just check out
pages 12-15!
We know that this legislative
session presents a real
opportunity to secure more
funding for our schools — an
opportunity we have not had in
many, many years. But we also
know that a bipartisan approach
is needed to make increased
education funding a reality. The
Governor stepped forward to lead
the way and now legislators must
fulfill their promise to make
education the top
priority.
March 7: More
than 300 teachers,
parents, and
students attended
the CCEAsponsored
Education Town
Hall Meeting held
at CimarronMemorial HS.
Teachers sent a
loud message to
legislators: They
must focus on
finding solutions
to provide
adequate funding for our schools.
Joining the activities of the
day and delivering opening
remarks was Tom Skancke,
President and CEO of Las Vegas
Global Economic Alliance
(LVGEA), an ally for more
education funding. The meeting
continued with remarks by
Nevada Senate and Assembly
Page 8 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
Leadership
members and a
Question &
Answer segment.
Legislators
present at this
town hall were
Senate Majority
Leader Michael
Roberson,
Assembly
Majority Leader
John Hambrick,
Senate Minority
Leader Aaron
Ford, as well as
legislators Becky
Harris, Chris Edwards,
David Parks, Glen
Trowbridge, Mark
Lipparelli, Mo Denis
and Patricia Spearman.
Reporters from
Channel 3, Channel 5,
Channel 8 and Channel
13 were on hand to capture the
heated action.
March 10: CCEA takes to the
airwaves running 30-second TV
spots in the Reno/Carson City and
in the Las Vegas area in support
of the Govenor’s leadership to
make education the top priority
and provide more funding for
much-needed programs.
If you haven’t seen the ads,
please visit the CCEA website.
March 13-18: Over 13,000
emails from Clark County
teachers flooded the mailboxes of
all 45 Clark County legislators
tools & resources. We need more funding. We need action
now!
March 20: More than 10,000 emails were sent over the
weekend to members of the Assembly Committee of
Commerce & Labor as soon as we confirmed that two of the
most devastating pieces of legislation on collective
bargaining, AB182 and AB249, were scheduled for March
25th before this Committee.
We sent the call to action and members could easily see
what was at stake – if passed, these would cause irreparable
harm to our right to collectively bargain and to the
protections we have worked so hard to secure. They would
remove a portion of the ending fund balance from the
collective bargaining process and from consideration by a
fact finder; eliminate final and binding fact-finding and
impasse arbitration proceedings; and remove an evergreen
clause provision that provides for contract protection while
negotiations continue after any contract expiration – and
sprung into action, flooding the Committee’s mailboxes with
a message that urged them to “Stand up for my rights as
a working Nevadan. Vote NO on AB182 and AB249.”
urging them to be courageous and
take the necessary steps to
adequately fund public education
in Nevada. This action took place
on the eve of the most important
funding bill to-date: SB252, a bill
that would increase the business
license fee to help fund public
education. The bill was
presented before a joint
hearing of the Senate
Revenue and Economic
Development Committee
and the Assembly Taxation
Committee on March 18th.
This was quite a
momentous occasion,
even by legislative
comparison, as other
committee hearings
scheduled for that day
were cancelled so that all
legislators could attend
the presentation.
The lineup of
presenters was impressive
and long and it included
our very own CCEA
Executive Director John
Vellardita, NSEA President Ruben
Murillo, and NSEA Chief Lobbyist
Jovan Agee. Most political
pundits would say that the
Teacher influence was certainly
felt on that day.
We need more schools. We
need to be able to attract and
retain teachers. We need more
www.ccea-nv.org
March 30: Hundreds of educators and support staff
kicked-off their spring break in Carson City to show support
for funding education. CCEA members were well
represented. We had an educator’s lobby day, meeting with
legislators and delivering thousands of postcards signed by
teaching professionals from schools across the district,
demanding this legislative session adopt more funding for
our schools.
Educators had a private meeting with the Governor, who
shared his plan and vision and took questions from our
members about our issues and concerns. We discussed the
conditions in the classrooms, the teacher shortage, and
other critical issues educators face every day. We made it
clear that we are part of the solution to improve Nevada’s
schools, and the Governor agreed.
As you can see, there have been many opportunities to
engage legislators and we are not done yet. The biggest lift
is yet to come. So, please stay in touch, visit the website
frequently, check your email messages, and if you haven’t
signed up for our texting program, please do so now by
texting the keyword “CCEA” to this number: 877877.
We must seize the opportunity to set a new path
for public education in Nevada.
~ 2014 ~
Tax Information
If you were a dues paying member of CCEA for the calendar
year January 1 to December 31, 2014, the itemized
miscellaneous dues deduction that you may be able to
deduct on your 2014 tax return is $734.00.
For more information, visit www.irs.gov and search for
“Inst 1040” under product number. For specific tax
questions and advice, we recommend you consult with your
tax adviser.
www.ccea-nv.org
Legislators Need to Pass
More Funding for Our Schools
(continued from page 7)
supported two bills in particular that are bad:
AB54 and SB168. In many cases, Democrats
control the local governments advocating for
these positions, so we can see that the attack
on our rights and benefits has been driven
from a management perspective, not solely
from a political persuasion. Despite this, our
objective and resolve remains the same — we
will defend and advance the interests of our
profession, including our retirement and
collective bargaining.
We are also moving pieces of legislation
that will help us. A Peer Assistance and
Review (PAR) bill and a Professional
Development (PD) bill, sponsored by CCEA,
are designed to put more resources in the
classroom so educators are successful. We
are also engaging in discussions around the
student outcome percentage that is part of
the new evaluation system. There are many
more bills that are important to educators
that we are engaging in and either
supporting, opposing, or trying to “fix” with
amendments. Please read page __ for
information on bills we are addressing in this
session.
More than 100 educators have signed up
for our Legislative Action Team (LAT) Intern
program and are leading the way in helping to
educate and mobilize members and
nonmembers into action.
To date, our activity has been high.
• We have had thousands of educators
and professionals involved in this legislative
campaign.
• Over 12,000 people wore buttons on
March 2nd for Education Awareness Day.
• Thousands have sent emails and
letters to legislators about issues and bills.
• Close to 4,000 people are on our text
alert system to receive notices for action and
they take action when called upon.
• Many educators have spoken at
hearings or held a roundtable
conversation with a lawmaker.
But our work is far from over.
We are two months into the session. Key
votes on funding are fast approaching. We
ask that if you are not yet plugged in, then
please do so. You can sign up for our text
alert system by texting the keyword “CCEA”
to this number: 877877 to stay informed
and notified when we need your help to take
action. As things continue to heat up, we
need to step up our efforts to influence
outcomes.
Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 9
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NSEA/CCEA 2015 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES: Issues We Are Moving
FUNDING
SB 252: Business License Fee (Budget)
Support
Sponsored by: Senate Committee on Revenue and
Economic Development
Governor Sandoval’s legislation to tax businesses to
increase education funding was presented before a
joint hearing of the Senate Revenue and Economic
Development Committee and the Assembly Taxation
Committee last Wednesday. The proposed Business
License Fee (BLF) structure in SB252 is equitable,
transparent, and stable. Once enacted, the fee
structure would serve as a major component for
providing the revenue capacity to support public
service obligations in Nevada’s ever-changing economy.
The next stop for the bill is the Senate Floor.
“AN ACT relating to business; revising provisions governing the
imposition, collection and enforcement of the state business
license fee to establish a quarterly business license fee based on
the Nevada gross revenue of a business; revising provisions
relating to the issuance of state business licenses and
transferring certain responsibilities from the Secretary of State to
the Department of Taxation; providing penalties; and providing
other matters properly relating thereto.”
Teacher Shortage:
We are working to pivot the discussion on funding
from supporting the BLF’s $438 million for public
education to funding the teacher shortage in Clark
County. Our message is simple: We can fund good
programs like ELL, all day Kindergarten, etc. and build
new schools, but if we do not have qualified teachers
in the classroom, then students won’t learn. We are
telling legislators that there could be as many as 1,000
substitutes in Clark County next year — that is 400
more than the 600 currently in our schools. Hence, we
are moving this issue to secure more funding. If
successful, this can potentially draw down another
$80-$100 million in the budget.
PEER ASSISTANCE &
REVIEW
SB 332: Peer Assistance and Review
Support
Sponsored by: Senators Roberson, Ford, and
Hammond
SB332 would allocate $1 million each year of the
biennium to support the Peer Assistance and Review
(PAR) Program in Clark County. CCEA has been
integral in the development and implementation of the
program and the development of the legislation.
Page 10 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
New teachers without experience are assigned a
Consulting Teacher (CT), and they will receive formal,
systematic support during their first year. They are
then assessed by both the CT and school
administration. Currently, the PAR program is being
administered in the Turn Around Zone. The ongoing,
yearlong support that PAR provides has proven to be
successful in retaining and developing educators in
other districts around the country. Help move this bill
to keep teachers in the profession by ensuring that
they receive every advantage possible to do their best.
The bill will be heard in the near future in the Senate
Finance Committee.
“AN ACT making an appropriation to the Clark County School
District to carry out a program of peer evaluations of teachers;
requiring the Clark County School District to use the money to
provide assistance to teachers in meeting the standards of
effective teaching; and providing other matters properly relating
thereto.”
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT
SB 226: Professional Development
Support
Sponsored by: Senators Farley, Hardy, Woodhouse,
Harris and Atkinson
This legislation would allow the Board of Trustees to
grant permission to teacher associations like CCEA to
be certified to contract with the District to conduct
professional development classes for teachers and
administrators that is consistent with the district and
state initiatives.
The Professional Development sessions could be
conducted outside of the school day or on the school
district’s designated staff development days. Your
support of this priority legislation will be vital to
ensure educators receive the support needed in the
classroom.
CCEA has played an integral role in the development of
the professional development legislation. The bill was
scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education
Committee.
EVALUATIONS
SB 8: Evaluations
Engaged
Sponsored by: Senate Education Committee
This legislation reduces the percentage that student
achievement counts for in a teacher’s evaluation from
50 to 40 percent. This bill will be heard in the Senate
Education Committee in the near future.
www.ccea-nv.org
AB 182 & 249: Collective Bargaining
REIMBURSEMENT
SB 133: School Supply Reimbursement
Support
Sponsored by: Senators Roberson, Farley, Harris,
Brower, Lipparelli, Hammond, Denis and Woodhouse
This legislation creates a Teachers’ School Supplies
Reimbursement Account to reimburse teachers for
certain out-of-pocket school supplies. Each school
district’s respective board or governing body would be
able to create a fund to reimburse teachers for
supplies. The board may contract with the teachers’
union to administer the program. Each teacher could
apply for up to $250 (originally $100) per year from the
fund. The bill provides for $2.5 million in funding each
year of the biennium. The Department of Education
will determine the available funding each year.
This bill was heard in the Senate Education
Committee on Feb. 17th. The bill passed out of the
Senate Education Committee on Mar. 17th with a 5-1
vote and extensive amendments to exclude substitute
teachers. The bill has been referred to the Senate
Committee on Finance.
Specifically, AB182 and AB249 would:
• Remove a portion of the ending fund balance from
the collective bargaining process and from
consideration by a fact finder;
• Eliminate final and binding fact-finding and impasse
arbitration proceedings;
• Remove an evergreen clause provision that provides
for contract protection while negotiations continue
after any contract expiration – in essence, it would
cut our pay, take away our prep time and any other
time currently allocated to provide our students with
the best learning setting.
• These bills will be heard in the Assembly Committee
on Commerce and Labor on Mar. 25th.
PERS
Assembly Bill 190: PERS
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
There are numerous collective bargaining bills
currently proposed. There is nothing good to say about
any of them. Each would cause irreparable harm to our
right to collectively bargain and to the protections we
have worked so hard to secure.
SB 158: Collective Bargaining
Oppose
Sponsored by: Senate Committee on Government
Affairs
“AN ACT relating to local governments; requiring the governing
body of a local government to make certain information available
to the public before the governing body meets to approve a
collective bargaining agreement or similar agreement; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.”
Senate Bill 168: Collective Bargaining
Oppose
Sponsored by: Senators Settelmeyer, Goicoechea,
Gustavson, and Lipparelli
“AN ACT relating to local governments; revising provisions
relating to the reopening of a collective bargaining agreement
during a period of fiscal emergency; excluding certain money from
collective bargaining negotiations and from consideration in
determining the ability of a local government to pay compensation
and monetary benefits; and providing other matters properly
relating thereto.”
www.ccea-nv.org
Oppose
Sponsored by: Assemblymen Kirner, Wheeler,
Hambrick, Dickman, Edwards, Ellison, Gardner, Jones,
Nelson, and Oscarson
Oppose
Sponsored by: Assemblymen Kirner, Wheeler, Hickey
and Jones
“AN ACT relating to public employees' retirement; providing for
the establishment of a hybrid retirement program for certain
public employees; requiring the program to include a defined
benefit plan and a defined contribution plan; setting forth the
required provisions of each plan; requiring certain public
employers under certain circumstances to make additional
contributions to the Public Employees' Retirement System to
reduce the unfunded liability of the System; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.” This bill will be heard in the
Committee on Ways and Means.
1. Nevada’s pension system is rated as one of the “best
in class” and is on course to be solvent. We don’t
need to fix what isn’t broken.
2. The current hybrid proposal in the Nevada
legislature would cut benefits by a staggering 54%.
It's critical that we educate legislators that not only
do we pay into PERS, we are not eligible to receive
Social Security.
3. PERS pension benefits play a vital role in the state
and local economies, supports jobs and increases
economic output and tax revenues. Instituting a
hybrid plan could be very costly to local economies
all across Nevada. Similar changes in other states
have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 11
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CCEA Members Discount:
Save $1,000 per person
Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches • July 21-28, 2015
Buy your season passes by April 30th
and enjoy these savings:
• Silver Season Pass = $20.00
• Gold Season Pass = $25.00
• V.I.P. Season Pass = $35.00
To purchase your season passes, visit the
Member Resources section @
www.ccea-nv.org
and click on Attraction Tickets.
ATTENTION!
Effective Monday, April 6, 2015
Regal movie tickets will increase
in cost. The new ticket price:
Combine time in France’s marvelous capital with discoveries of quaint towns along
the Seine and in the picturesque Normandy region. Embark in Paris, sailing to
Vernon, for a choice of guided visits to either Claude Monet’s stunning gardens at
Giverny or magnificent Bizy Castle. Continue to Les Andelys with its Chateau Gailard,
built by England’s King roichard the Lionheart in 1196, and enjoy guided sightseeing. Then, on to Caudebec, where
you choose between an included excursion to the poignant Normandy landing beaches or a fascinating “Taste of
Normandy.” Visit Joan of Arc’s historic Rouen, and in Conflans, choose between a visit of Vincent van Gogh’s
Auvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s elegant Chateau de Malmaison before heading back to Paris. During
your last day on the Seine, a local expert will show you some of the famous sights, such as the Arc de Tromphe,
Eiffel Tower, and more!
For more information, please contact Renae Whitt @ 702-496-1067 or [email protected].
$8.50
CCEA member receive a 20% discount off
tuition and 50% off initial registration fee ($40
value).
Buy your season passes today and enjoy savings of $30-$45 off regular price!
But hurry, limited supplies available.
Visit the Member Resources section @ www.ccea-nv.org and click on Attraction Tickets.
• Hot meals served 3 times a day included in tuition; snacks
& drinks provided, too!
• Open 354 days out of the year; closed on special days.
• We offer online viewing from our remote cameras through
the use of a mobile app.
• ABCmouse.com is part of our developmentally appropriate
curriculum.
2760 S. Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89146
702-220-4384 | www.Kidsrusvegas.com
Attention
CCEA Members!
To take advantage
of this discount,
visit
nevadaballet.org
OR
call 702-749-2000
and mention code
“LOVE515”
Page 16 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
Are you looking for resources to assist you in
the classroom? How about ...
Lesson Planning, Technology Integration, Subjects &
Specialities, Early Childhood and more.
Education World offers great resources to help you out.
www.educationworld.com.
Sorry, no children under 5 years of age.
www.ccea-nv.org
www.ccea-nv.org
Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 17
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Members Only
Nominations due April 17
The CCEA Ethnic Minorities Affairs Committee would like to
recognize the National Commemoration of the Armenian
Genocide Centennial. April 24, 2015 is the one hundredth
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, an attempted
extermination of the Armenian people by the Ottoman
Empire. Worldwide there will be ceremonies to remember
this genocide. American-Armenian band System Of A
Down will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
genocide on the world stage with their “Wake Up The
Souls” arena tour in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
The Armenian Genocide, also known as the Armenian
Holocaust, was the Ottoman government's systematic
extermination of its minority Armenian subjects from their
historic homeland within the territory constituting the
present-day Republic of Turkey. The total number of people
killed as a result has been estimated to be 1.5 million.
The overwhelming majority of historians from across
the world and numerous academic institutions on
Holocaust and Genocide Studies recognize the Armenian
Genocide. As of 2014, the governments of twenty-two
countries, including Russia, France, as well as forty-six
states of the United States of America, have recognized the
events as genocide.
On May 7, 8 and 9, 2015, thousands from across the
globe will gather in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the
centennial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. While
remembering those who were lost, the creation of a new
Armenia and the thriving Armenian communities around the
world will be celebrated.
NOTARY PUBLIC SERVICES
Did you know that CCEA offers
notary public services FREE of
charge to all CCEA members?
That’s right, NO charge regardless
of the number of documents.
Take advantage of this benefit.
Call the CCEA office to set up an
appointment. You will need your documents and
a valid ID.
Nevada
Study
Session
Nevada School Law Exam
Nevada Constitution Exam
U.S. Constitution Exam
The CCEA Awards Committee is proud to announce the opening of nominations for the 2015 CCEA
Awards. With your help, we will recognize the outstanding efforts of CCEA members in five categories:
Dedicated Educator Award, STAR Educator Award, Pam Chambers Service to CCEA Award, Steve Cozine
Leadership Award, Friends of Education Award and the recently created CCEA Humanitarian Certificate
Award. We encourage every school to submit at least one nomination.
Dedicated Educator Award
Steve Cozine Leadership Award
Place: Teachers Health Trust Building
Sedway Conference Room
2950 E. Rochelle Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89121
To be a candidate for this award, an individual
must have served as a dedicated educator for
15 years or more.
• Licensed personnel working on the
teachers’ salary schedule who are members
of CCEA are eligible for nomination.
• One person will be selected to receive
this award.
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
STAR Educator Award
This award will honor a member of CCEA who
has distinguished himself/herself through
tireless effort, long hours, and creative labor
for the benefit of Clark County teachers.
• To be eligible for this award, the
nominee must be an active CCEA member
and hold, or have held, one or more of the
following positions: Committee Chairperson,
CCEA Executive Board or NSEA Board of
Directors, or an elected CCEA or NSEA office.
• One person will be selected to receive
this award.
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Seating is limited.
Call 702-473-1003 or e-mail Courtney Patton
at [email protected] or through Interact
with your selected date.
Hurry, classes fill quickly!
For your convenience, the Nevada Law
booklet may be purchased at the study
session for $15.00 — payment only through
payroll deduction (form to be submitted at
check-in).
•• Exam Information ••
IMPORTANT: You MUST pre-register for
the exams. The registration link
(http://www.unr.edu/educ/el/nvlaw/) is
available approximately 5 weeks prior to
the exam.
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2015
Place: Keller Middle School
301 N. Fogg Street, LV 89110
This award is presented to licensed personnel
who have done an outstanding and exemplary
job in their field.
• Nominees must have five or more years
of experience. Three recipients will be
selected to receive this award.
• One recipient will be chosen from each
of the following areas of service: Elementary
School, Middle School and High School.
Pam Chambers Service to CCEA
Award
This award honors those individuals who
receive little or no recognition for a job well
done in service to teachers and the Clark
County Education Association.
• Persons eligible for this award are
Association Representatives, Committee
members and individuals who serve CCEA in
any capacity other than by being Officers or
Executive Board members.
• One person will be selected to receive
this award.
• One recipient will be chosen from each
of the following areas of service: Elementary
School, Middle School and High School.
Time: 10:30 a.m. (doors open at 9:00 a.m. and
will close at 10:15 a.m.)
www.ccea-nv.org
Friends of Education Award
With the introduction of this award, CCEA
recognizes individuals, organizations, or
businesses that have demonstrated a strong
commitment to excellence in education in
Clark County.
• One person will be selected to receive
this award.
CCEA Humanitarian Certificate Award
This certificate will recognize the volunteer
efforts of a licensed employee to CCEA, our
schools, or the community in the areas of
education, health, environment or human
services. It aims to also acknowledge
outstanding humanitarian service to
educators and students and the efforts to
overcome the odds, moving beyond specific
hardships or family/societal difficulties to
enhance the quality of life for others.
Nomination forms are available on the CCEA website at www.ccea-nv.org.
(Stewart & Fogg, off East Charleston Blvd.)
Schedule your appointment by calling 702-733-3063.
Page 18 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015
Join Us in Recognizing Outstanding
CCEA Members & Licensed Employees
The deadline to submit the completed forms to the CCEA Awards Committee has been extended to Friday, April 17, 2015.
Mail or deliver the completed nomination form(s) to the CCEA office at 4230 McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89121 (off Flamingo Road,
across from the Silver State Schools Credit Union). If you prefer, you may fax the nomination form to 702-733-0240.
If you have any questions about the process, please contact Sharon Whalum at 702-733-3063 or 702-473-1009.
www.ccea-nv.org
Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 19
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NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LAS VEGAS, NV
PERMIT #57
4230 McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121
Tel. 702-733-3063 • www.ccea-nv.org
CCEAid No.
STAY CONNECTED.
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter. For last minute information, visit the CCEA website at
www.ccea-nv.org and join our texting program—simply text CCEA to 877877.
• THE CCEA OFFICE WILL CLOSE FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015 FOR SPRING BREAK •
You still have time to be an active voice for the teaching
profession and for the students you educate.
Your involvement during the 2015 Legislative Session will be critical in our ability to secure MORE
resources for our students and funding for our schools. Staying in touch with you will be
essential to our success, so we must activate a rapid-response communication system to bring
you news from the capitol as they are happening and calls to action as needed.
Sign up for CCEA’s texting program today! Text CCEA to 877877.