From the LVRJ: The Clark County School District's $40-million Race to the Top ended
before it began, pulled off the starting line by its teachers union.
The
Clark County Education Association, which has been at odds with the
district for two years over teacher salaries and benefits, has refused
to sign off on the district's federal grant application. That stops the
district dead in its tracks.
Union buy-in was required for the
district to seek a $40 million slice of the competitive $400-million
federal grant, which is intended to promote data-based and digital tools
to meet individual student needs and evaluate school staff. The grant
would have benefited 41,000 students at 63 Clark County schools, which
would have received high-technology tools and literacy intervention. The
district also could have hired 22 teachers plus 24 support staff
dedicated to mostly helping students struggling with English.
Tuesday was the deadline for applications, but President Barack Obama
extended the deadline indefinitely because of Hurricane Sandy. But
that's not likely to help Clark County, America's fifth-largest school
district.
Clark County Education Association officials, who did
not return calls Tuesday, claim the union was left out of the district's
application process.
Executive Director John Vellardita wrote
Clark County Deputy Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky on Oct. 24, agreeing
that "teachers and students need the resourcing opportunities that a
Race to the Top holds."
"However, because the district has not
engaged in any genuine attempts at collaboration, we will miss an
opportunity to improve teaching and learning in Clark County," he wrote,
informing the district that it wouldn't receive the union's support.
The district didn't include teachers or the union while drafting the reforms outlined in the application, Vellardita contended.
In
actuality, the union was invited to participate at every turn from July
through October but refused, wrote the district's Chief Student
Services Officer Kim Wooden Tuesday. She went on to list seven attempts
to include the union, including reaching out to union President Ruben
Murillo, who said Vikki Courtney would be the union's representative.
The district contacted Courtney, who said she'd attend meetings. But
Courtney never showed, Wooden wrote in her reply.
Despite the
union's absence from the process, 1,616 teachers attended the
stakeholder meetings, Wooden said. Principals reported that 89.4 percent
of stakeholders were in agreement with the application's proposals.
"CCEA
chose not to participate in the formation of the grant," Wooden wrote
Vellardita. "It is even more disappointing that association is
effectively blocking the district
at a time when we all agree that we
need more resources for education." http://www.lvrj.com/news/teachers-union-blocks-clark-county-school-district-s-bid-for-40-million-federal-grant-176520461.html
When the CCEA says they are there for the children, don't buy it, it' a bunch of bull crap.
But then, why would a requirement for the money is to have the teacher's union be on board and they have veto power? Just another stupid Obama administration requirement.
Tammytalk, But NO Questions Taken
37 minutes ago
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