In split vote, Trustees approve bringing back retired teachers, controversial sex education materials

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Before the Clark County School District Board of Trustees meeting Thursday night, teachers gathered with signs trying to draw attention to their school safety concerns.

Once inside the meeting, the push for change continued. Teachers, students and parents went before the school board to make their voices heard.

“Enough is enough. I will not be placed in the position of having wear a panic button around my neck to teach,” said CCSD teacher Kelly Edgar.

“Two adults attacked my child. I contacted the school. I tried to talk to the school and the principal literally laughed at me a walked away,” said Jasmin Lawrence, a mom of a student at Bob Bailey Middle School.

“I believe that CCSD has failed to keep us as students safe,” said CCSD student Giana Archuleta.

One common proposal to make schools safer: get more adults on school campuses. The district acknowledged a critical staffing shortage from bus drivers to teachers to even substitutes.

“I just recently got an English teacher after bouncing around from sub to sub for two full quarters,” said Canyon Springs High School student Tyler Breeden.

Trustees voted to move forward on changes to rules to allow retired teachers to come back into classrooms and fill some of the many vacancies, but that isn’t stopping current teachers from leaving.

“They are leaving in droves. I will be retiring. I am divorcing this district because you refuse to acknowledge that you ask me not only to promote students’ academic performance but also to be a social worker, counselor, therapist, anger management coach, dispute mediator, entertainer, and babysitter,” shared one teacher.

Teacher Alexis Salt said the current CCSD staffing level should be considered an emergency, stressing the dire need to hire before the start of next school year.

“We are over 2,000 positions short. I know it, you know it, God in heaven knows it. How are we going to open a school like Chapparal short 25 teachers,” Salt said.

There was also a highly controversial item up for debate Thursday night, the approval of sex education materials for the district.

Trustee Katie Williams wanted the item pulled for further discussion and got the support of Trustees Danielle Ford and Linda Cavazos, but ultimately the entire consent agenda including the controversial sex education materials were approved by the majority of the Board of Trustees.

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