express mar apr2015 2

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

The 2015 Session of theNevada Legislature beganon Monday, February 2nd,

and right from the start,legislators have been hearingfrom Clark County teachers.Our message: You must workin a bipartisan approach topass funding that meets theneeds of today’s classrooms.

Our active and visibleengagement kicked off on day 1of the session, February 2:Opening day was marked bymore than 5,000 emails fromteachers – just like you –demonstrating their support forGovernor Sandoval’s boldleadership to improve our schoolsand our state. The email was alsocopied to leadership in the Senateand the Assembly, urging them tostand with the Governor to helpbuild the new Nevada — a Nevadawhere education is the toppriority.

This was the first step inletting the Governor andlegislators know that teachers arecommitted and would be out infull force, urging them to followthrough on their promises andmake education funding the toppriority.

February 12: When TreasurerDan Schwartz stepped before thebipartisan Senate FinanceCommittee to make a presentationon his “alternative” state budget,his confidence was shaken.Educators had sent more than 700emails on the eve of hispresentation— strongly opposing

his alternative proposal to theGovernor’s budget.

Schwartz struggled for whatwas without a doubt the longest90 minutes of his life,backtracking on previousstatements, claiming he never saidthings he obviously said.Throughout his painfulpresentation, Schwartz showed hislack of knowledge about the statebudget and could not explain therationale for his ideas. He waspummeled by legislators, advocacyorganizations such as CCEA, andparents — all decrying his ill-conceived “alternate budget” as itdoes not increase education by asingle penny and aims to takeaway support and anti-bullyingefforts.

Educators’ swift action helpedset the tone for the counterattack.

February 13: The news of theintroduction of SB133, a bill thatauthorizes the reimbursement ofteachers for certain out-of-pocketexpenses and would create theTeachers’ School Supplies

Reimbursement Account,was greeted with greatsupport by Clark Countyteachers who quickly spranginto action over the 3-dayweekend, sending more than2,300 emails to SenatorsMichael Roberson, BeckyHarris, Greg Brower, PatriciaFarley and Mark Lipparelli tothank them for taking thefirst step in ensuring thatteachers do not carry thisburden.

The bill takes a first stepin lessening the burden.

February 28: We learned thatAB190, a bill that threatens toseverely destabilize the PublicEmployees’ Retirement System(PERS) would be heard before theAssembly Committee onGovernment Affairs on March 3rd.We sent a call to action and closeto 13,000 emails were sent toCommittee members, urging themto vote NO on AB190, as it wouldbreak the promise made by Nevadato public employees and puteducators’ retirement benefit atrisk.

March 2: Thousands button-up for Education Awareness Day,calling on legislators to provide“MORE for Our Students.”

Well, Clark County may behundreds of miles away from thelegislative hallways, but youwouldn’t have known that onMarch 2nd, when more than12,000 teaching professionalsfrom hundreds of worksites

(continues on page 8)

Express Mar-Apr2015_Layout 1 3/26/15 9:27 PM

• CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015 www.ccea-nv.org

2015 CCEA Elections One hundred twenty-six members electedto local, state, and national positions

In a process that began with the closing of nominations during the December2014 Association Representative (AR) Council meeting and concluded withthe ratification of run-off election results at the March 24, 2015 AR Councilmeeting, 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 KimuraSeat 3A - Richard TellierSeat 4A - Sally BainSeat 5A - Loretta Harper

• NSEA Board of Directors (3-year term):Seat G - Tamara S. HudsonSeat H - Rob BensonSeat I - Stephanie G. BellSeat J - Tyrone L. McMullinsSeat K - Michael PeckSeat L - Cassandra W. Bell

• CCEA TIP Coordinating Council (2-year term)Cassandra W. BellJim FrazeeLoretta HarperWanda KeithJennifer Webb-Cook

• Delegates to NSEA Delegate Assembly (2-year term)Seventy (70) delegates were elected in this election cycle. Thesedelegates will be part of the 153-member delegation attending the NSEADelegate Assembly in Reno, Nevada this year.

• State and Local Delegates to NEA Representative Assembly (2-yearterm)Two groups of delegates were elected — state and local.

— Four (4) delegates are joining the State/NSEA Delegates to NEARepresentative Assembly. These positions are funded by NSEA.

— Thirty-four (34) delegates have been elected to join theLocal/CCEA Delegates to NEA Representative Assembly. Thesepositions are funded by CCEA.

Congratulations to all!

CALENDAROF EVENTS

March 30-April 3, 2015Spring Break

March 30, 2015Educators Lobby in Carson City

April 3, 2015Good Friday

Passover (begins @ sunset 4/2)** CCEA Offices Closed **

April 5, 2015Easter Sunday

April 6, 2015Classes Resume

April 7, 2015CCEA Executive Board Mtg.

April 8-9, 2015CCEA Caucuses for NSEA DA

April 9, 2015CCSD School Board Mtg.

April 21, 2015CCEA Executive Board Mtg.

April 22, 2015Administrative Professionals Day

Earth Day

April 23, 2015CCSD School Board Mtg.

April 24-26, 2015NSEA Delegate Assembly — Reno

April 28, 2015CCEA Association Rep Council Mtg.

May 3-9, 2015Teacher Appreciation Week

May 5, 2014Teacher Appreciation Day

Cinco de Mayo

May 10, 2015Mother’s Day

May 14, 2015CCSD School Board Mtg.

May 16, 2015CCEA Executive Board Mtg.

May 23, 2015Shavuot (begins @ sunset 5/22)

May 25, 2015Memorial Day

** CCEA Offices Closed **

May 26, 2015CCEA Association Rep Council Mtg.

In This Issue: Educators Step Up for Public Education............p1CCEA Election Results ...........................................p2From the President’s Desk ....................................p3Building a Robust Teacher Pipeline ....................p4Above & Beyond the Call of Duty Award ...........p6

Legislators Need to Pass More Funding............p7NSEA/CCEA Legislative Priorities......................p10Education Awareness Day ............................p12-15Member Benefits & Special Discounts.......p16-18The Armenian Genocide .....................................p182015 CCEA Awards Nominations .......................p19

www.ccea-nv.org Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 3

From the President’s Desk by Vikki Courtney

Educators Do “More for Our Students!”

Educators always“do more for ourstudents!” Wedemonstrate this

over and over. We showup and get it donebecause we care. Thislegislative session we haveasked for more and our actionsare paying off!

The session began with us,CCEA, asking you to supportthe Governor’s leadership witha plan that changes therevenue system and theeducation system in Nevada.Your action on the first day ofthe session flooded Democratand Republican legislators withemails showing your supportfor the Governor’s plan tomove Nevada forward. Yourvoice was heard loud and clear!

You continued to act bytelling Nevada State TreasurerSchwartz that his plan for ourstudents and the educationsystem was unacceptable. Heleft the building with his planin shreds, because of you.

Next, you buttoned up onEducation Awareness Day andwe filled the capital with yourshout of “MORE for OurStudents!” We have called onyou to act at a moment’snotice on PERS and collectivebargaining legislation thatwould have a negative effect onyour working conditions. Youstepped up and your collectivevoice has roared!

Last week, CCEA stoodwith our business andcommunity partners — the LasVegas Global EconomicAlliance, the Council for aBetter Nevada, Nevadans forthe Common Good, the Urban

Chamber, the Latin ChamberChamber of Commerce, theAsian Chamber of Commerce,H.O.P.E. and Better EducationToday — in support ofGovernor Sandoval’s businesslicense fee (BLF) plan that willprovide Southern Nevadaschools with much neededfunding and resources.

Funding, PERS, andcollective bargaining willalways be our bread and butterissues. We will need you tocontinue to speak out on thesepriorities throughout thissession.

We are doing more thissession. We have priorities thatwe believe will give us a greatervoice in our profession, and inour work as educators. Let’stake a look at some of thesepriorities.

Senate Bill (SB) 226 –sponsored by Senators Farley,Hardy, Woodhouse, Harris, andAtkinson “authorizes aprofessional organization ofteachers to provideprofessional developmenttraining to teachers andadministrators.”

CCEA has, for the past twoyears, been providingprofessional development (PD)to educators through itsProfessional LearningProgram. More than 2,000educators have takenadvantage of this professionaldevelopment to help improve

their instruction. CCEA beganthis work because teachers arethe closest to the work ofeducating our students, sowho better to provide thetraining than those who workwith students every day andknow firsthand how to deliverthat expert instruction.

This bill will recognizeCCEA as having the authorityto contract with the District tobe a PD provider not onlyoutside of the school day, butalso on the school district’sdesignated staff developmentdays.

Your support of thispriority legislation will giveeducators the support neededin the classroom, provided bycolleagues, who actually knowwhat happens inside today’sclassroom.

SB332, sponsored bySenators Roberson, Ford andHammond, is another CCEApriority. This will providefunding for the PeerAssistance and Review(PAR) program in CCSD overthe 2015–2017 biennium.

CCEA has worked withCCSD since October of 2014 toestablish peer assistance foreducators. PAR provides thatall new teachers to theprofession, without experience,are assigned a ConsultingTeacher (CT) and included inthe PAR program. These


Action expresses priorities.— Mahatma Ghandi

Express Mar-Apr2015_Layout 1 3/26/15 9:27 PM Page 2

• CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015 www.ccea-nv.org www.ccea-nv.org Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 5

The Vice President’s Cornerby Theo Small

Building a Robust Teacher Pipeline

As I was flying back from ameeting in Dallas over theweekend, I opened upSouthwest The Magazine and

turned to a full-page advertisementof the Clark County School Districtthat read: CALLING ALLHEROES!!! It had a graphic of aSuperman-like figure whose shirtread TEACH VEGAS and with anAPPLY TO TEACH TODAY! CAPEINCLUDED line directed them towww.Teach.Vegas.

I paused to think about thethousands of travelers who readthis magazine around the countryand what must go through theirheads when they read, “HAVE ADEGREE, NOT IN TEACHING?NO PROBLEM! BECOME A HEROIN LIGHTNING SPEED…” It goesfurther to say that as CCSDemployee, you will be able tochange lives.

I have to acknowledge that youchange and impact lives each day,including those of you who providedaily support to the nearly 700long-term substitutes currently atyour sites.

CCEA has joined othercommunity organizations this pastyear to change our narrative fromhaving to beg for anyone who willteach in Vegas, to impacting oursystem to become a district wherethe best educators around thecountry would be honored to work.

Page 5 contains a letter thatthis consortium — The NevadaConsortium on the TeacherPipeline — sent to legislatorsaddressing both short term “fixes”and longer-term support systems.

As we move through thislegislative session and continuethrough negotiations, pleasecontinue to keep your voices,stories, and input strong.

You matter and your workon behalf of students matters.

The Nevada Consortium on theTeacher Pipeline

These organizations are members of The Nevada Consortiumon the Teacher Pipeline and support the policies and practicesmentioned in the letter, as part of the collective voice of thisConsortium.

Andre Agassi Foundation for EducationBoys & Girls Club of Southern NevadaClark County School DistrictClark County Association of School AdministratorsClark County Black CaucusClark County Education AssociationClark County Education District AssociationClark County Public Education FoundationCollege of Southern NevadaCommunities in Schools of NevadaGrand Canyon UniversityGreat Basin CollegeHOPE (Honoring Our Public Education)Las Vegas Global Economic AllianceLatin Chamber of Commerce, Education CommitteeLatino Leadership CouncilLincy Institute, University of Nevada Las VegasNational UniversityNevada Coalition to Address Personnel Shortages in SpecialEducation and Related ServicesNevada PartnersNevada PTANevada State CollegeNevada State Education AssociationNevada SucceedsNevada System of Higher EducationNevadans for the Common GoodPolitical Advancement of LatinosProact SearchThe SUPES AcademySierra Nevada CollegeTNTP (The New Teacher Project)Teach for AmericaTouro University NevadaUnited Way of Southern NevadaUniversity of Nevada Las Vegas College of EducationUniversity of Nevada RenoWestern Governors UniversityWynn Resorts

Dear State Assemblyman/Senator,

We represent a broad and diverse group of Nevada stakeholders who began meeting in the fall of 2014 to discuss possiblesolutions to the social and economic implications of teacher shortages in Nevada.

The severity of the teacher shortage, particularly in Southern Nevada, is well-known. The Clark County School Districtbegan the 2014-2015 school year with over 700 unfilled professional teaching vacancies, and currently still has over 600vacancies. While all students are impacted in one way or another, the vast majority of classroom vacancies are in schoolsserving children living in poverty and disproportionately impact children in homes where English is not a primary language.

The Nevada Consortium on the Teacher Pipeline includes individuals representing various organizations, viewpoints, andperspectives from the broadest possible range of constituencies. The group was founded on the belief that the teachershortage is a complex and community-wide problem and that effective solutions must be similarly sophisticated. As ofFebruary 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 Februarymeeting, the Consortium was able to reach majority agreement on six legislative items that, we believe, are likely to helpease 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 teacherprovider programs. We believe this fund will be one building block to help attract, prepare, and retain high qualityeducators for Nevada’s schools.

2) The Consortium supports College and Career Readiness grants, particularly to the extent that the grants will provide aidfor high schools in offering innovative programs targeted to improve the graduation rate and readiness upon exit. Thefunds of this grant could be used to help support Clark County School District to attract bright and talented students andprovide them with advanced and cutting edge training to re-enter the Clark County School District as effective andvibrant 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 bothadditional support for teachers as they work to grow professionally and additional opportunities to assume leadershipwithin 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 licensededucators in neighboring countries and non-U.S. citizens currently living in Nevada who are interested in teaching in theClark County School District. To the extent AB 27 makes it easier for nonresident individuals to become licensed, the billincrease the availability of qualified teachers.

5) The Consortium supports Modernizing the Nevada Plan to include more resources and appropriate weights. This newplan would produce equity statewide and help improve the student-teacher ratio. While the Plan does not directlyprovide support for new teachers, increasing resources available for students and teachers in the State’s highest needsschools 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 otherstates 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 therewere additional education items of importance to mention. While the following legislative items are not directly connectedto 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 DayKindergarten 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 robustteacher pipeline delivering quality education to our children in the State of Nevada. We hope that you will take ourendorsement of the above items into consideration for the upcoming legislative meeting and that we continue to have anopen pathway of communication going forward.

Sincerely,The Nevada Consortium on the Teacher Pipeline Committee


www.ccea-nv.org Mar/April 2015 | CCEA Express • Page 7Page 6 • CCEA Express | Mar/April 2015 www.ccea-nv.org

Volume 15, Issue 3 March/April 2015The CCEA Express is an official publication of theClark County Education Association (CCEA), 4230McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89121. It is published8 times a year (August through June/July). Thepublication’s goal is to keep Association membersabreast of issues affecting public education and toprovide economic benefits.

Vikki Courtney PresidentTheo Small Vice PresidentCindy K. Johnson SecretaryCassandra W. Bell TreasurerJohn Vellardita Executive Director

Letty Elias Editor/Layout/DesignValeria Gurr Editorial AssistantSharon Whalum Contributor

Message from the Executive Directorby John Vellardita

Legislators Need to Pass More Fundingfor Our Schools

Two months of the 78th

Session of the NevadaLegislature are over andthe struggle to pass a billto fund education is fastapproaching, but it is notdone. The Governor hasproposed $438 million inadditional funding forpublic education. He hasproposed a businesslicense fee increase (SB252) that has beenendorsed by three formerNevada Governors, keybusiness leaders, and anumber of legislators. Butthe debate continues. TheRepublican Assembly hasintroduced another fundingproposal to add another$70 million. The SenateDemocrats have alsointroduced a measure toincrease funding foreducation. In the end it willtake bipartisan support topass any funding measureand the forces ofopposition know it. Anti-education business leadersare leading the way toprevent any tax from beingadopted and the anti-taxconservatives in bothHouses are right there withthem. This will be a toughstruggle to win.

We want to see theGovernor’s budget passed.We also want to findadditional revenue toaddress serious issues likethe teacher shortage inClark County. Theunprecedented use of long-term subs at anunacceptable scale (650this year alone) has to end.CCSD will continue to notbe competitive in hiring

qualified teachers if ouroutdated salary schedulegoes without fixing. We canbuild new schools, havemoney for new programs,but if in the end we are notfilling those classroomswith qualified teachers,then how will studentachievement improve?

Addressing the teacherrecruitment and retentionissue is critical to ourstudents’ success. To thatend we will work with bothparties to accomplish thisbecause it will takebipartisan support to passanything.

CCEA is working witheveryone who supportsfunding education:business leaders,community organizations,and educationstakeholders. Our objectiveis simple: get fundingpassed in this session. Wehave publicly stated thatand continue with ourlegislative campaign toaccomplish it.

Hundreds of educators

and support staff went toCarson City on March 30th

to show support forfunding education. CCEAmembers were wellrepresented. We had aneducator’s lobby day,meetings with legislators,and delivered thousands ofpostcards signed byteaching professionals fromschools across the districtdemanding this legislativesession adopt more fundingfor our schools. Hundredsof educators had a privatemeeting with the Governorwho shared his plan andvision and took questionsfrom our members aboutour issues and concerns.We discussed theconditions in theclassrooms, the teachershortage, and other criticalissues educators face everyday. We made it clear thatwe are part of the solutionto improve Nevada’sschools, and the Governoragreed.

However, there are anti-educator elementsadvocating that ourcollective bargaining andPERS should be seriouslycompromised in exchangefor funding. They call thatdiscussion “reform.” Someof the more dangerous billsare not coming from rightwing ideologues, butactually coming from localgovernment management.They are joining the chorusof weakening collectivebargaining or protectinggeneral funds fromnegotiations. CCSD hasbeen part of that—they


“... we will

defend and advance

the interests of our

profession,

including our

retirement and

collective

bargaining.”

From the President’s Desk (continued from page 3)

teachers will receive formal, systematicsupport during their first year from their CT,and are assessed by both the CT and schooladministration. A memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) was reached and PeerAssistance for new teachers in the TurnAround Zone was established beginning in2015. Teachers that are new to teachingneed the direct, ongoing, yearlong supportthat this program will provide. We will askyou to help move this bill forward to keepteachers in the profession by ensuring thatthey receive every advantage possible to dotheir best.

SB8, the bill that could revise thestudent test score percentage on theevaluation of licensed educational personneland administrators, was scheduled for ahearing on February 5th. It has not beenrescheduled for a hearing yet. Be on alert fora message from us, if action is needed.

This session has the promise ofproviding significant funding, as well asprofessional support for educators. Oursuccess will be determined by each of uskeeping our focus on the priorities that willmake a difference for our future. I ask youall to continue to take action on thesepriorities to ensure that there is MOREfor education when the session ends onJune 1st.

ABOVE & BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

Do you go the extra milefor your minority

students?

Do you know someoneelse who does?

The CCEA Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee presents the 16thannual “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award”nomination process.

This award aims to recognize and pay tribute to CCEAmembers who have gone “Above and Beyond the Call ofDuty” 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 throughprojects while working with ethnic minority students onprojects which are “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.”

4. The nominee participated in activities outside of theinstructional day that positively affected the educationalprocess of ethnic minority students without receivingcompensation.

5. The nominee performed duties outside of his/hercontractual responsibilities due to extenuatingcircumstances while working with ethnic minority students.

To download the nomination form, visit www.ccea-nv.org. Aone-page detailed description of the activity the nominee isinvolved in, and how it impacts ethnic minority students, mustaccompany the nomination form.

Nomination forms must be received at CCEA by 6:00 p.m. onFriday, April 10, 2015. If you should have any questions,please contact EMAC chairpersons Tyrone McMullins or PamAvdoian through Interact.



Educators Step Up(continued from page 1)

demonstrated their support forincreased education funding bywearing the “MORE for OurStudents” button during the daydesignated by the Legislature asEducation Awareness Day.

Our message to legislators:Clark County teachers standunited in support of educationfunding that meets the needs oftoday’s classrooms and schools.

The button-up action bythousands of educators onceagain demonstrated ourcommitment to help secure morefunding for our schools — and ingreat numbers, just check outpages 12-15!

We know that this legislativesession presents a realopportunity to secure morefunding for our schools — anopportunity we have not had inmany, many years. But we alsoknow that a bipartisan approachis needed to make increasededucation funding a reality. TheGovernor stepped forward to leadthe way and now legislators mustfulfill their promise to makeeducation the toppriority.

March 7: Morethan 300 teachers,parents, andstudents attendedthe CCEA-sponsoredEducation TownHall Meeting heldat Cimarron-Memorial HS.Teachers sent aloud message tolegislators: Theymust focus onfinding solutionsto provideadequate funding for our schools.

Joining the activities of theday and delivering openingremarks was Tom Skancke,President and CEO of Las VegasGlobal Economic Alliance(LVGEA), an ally for moreeducation funding. The meetingcontinued with remarks byNevada Senate and Assembly

Leadershipmembers and aQuestion &Answer segment.

Legislatorspresent at thistown hall wereSenate MajorityLeader MichaelRoberson,AssemblyMajority LeaderJohn Hambrick,Senate MinorityLeader AaronFord, as well aslegislators BeckyHarris, Chris Edwards,David Parks, GlenTrowbridge, MarkLipparelli, Mo Denisand Patricia Spearman.

Reporters fromChannel 3, Channel 5,Channel 8 and Channel13 were on hand to capture theheated action.

March 10: CCEA takes to theairwaves running 30-second TVspots in the Reno/Carson City andin the Las Vegas area in supportof the Govenor’s leadership to

make education the top priorityand provide more funding formuch-needed programs.

If you haven’t seen the ads,please visit the CCEA website.

March 13-18: Over 13,000emails from Clark Countyteachers flooded the mailboxes ofall 45 Clark County legislators

urging them to be courageous andtake the necessary steps toadequately fund public educationin Nevada. This action took placeon the eve of the most importantfunding bill to-date: SB252, a billthat would increase the businesslicense fee to help fund public

education. The bill waspresented before a jointhearing of the SenateRevenue and EconomicDevelopment Committeeand the Assembly TaxationCommittee on March 18th.

This was quite amomentous occasion,even by legislativecomparison, as othercommittee hearingsscheduled for that daywere cancelled so that alllegislators could attendthe presentation.

The lineup ofpresenters was impressiveand long and it includedour very own CCEA

Executive Director JohnVellardita, NSEA President RubenMurillo, and NSEA Chief LobbyistJovan Agee. Most politicalpundits would say that theTeacher influence was certainlyfelt on that day.

We need more schools. Weneed to be able to attract andretain teachers. We need more

~ 2014 ~Tax Information

If you were a dues paying member of CCEA for the calendaryear January 1 to December 31, 2014, the itemizedmiscellaneous dues deduction that you may be able todeduct 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 taxquestions and advice, we recommend you consult with yourtax adviser.

Legislators Need to PassMore Funding for Our Schools(continued from page 7)

supported two bills in particular that are bad:AB54 and SB168. In many cases, Democratscontrol the local governments advocating forthese positions, so we can see that the attackon our rights and benefits has been drivenfrom a management perspective, not solelyfrom a political persuasion. Despite this, ourobjective and resolve remains the same — wewill defend and advance the interests of ourprofession, including our retirement andcollective bargaining.

We are also moving pieces of legislationthat will help us. A Peer Assistance andReview (PAR) bill and a ProfessionalDevelopment (PD) bill, sponsored by CCEA,are designed to put more resources in theclassroom so educators are successful. Weare also engaging in discussions around thestudent outcome percentage that is part ofthe new evaluation system. There are manymore bills that are important to educatorsthat we are engaging in and eithersupporting, opposing, or trying to “fix” withamendments. Please read page __ forinformation on bills we are addressing in thissession.

More than 100 educators have signed upfor our Legislative Action Team (LAT) Internprogram and are leading the way in helping toeducate and mobilize members andnonmembers into action.

To date, our activity has been high.• We have had thousands of educators

and professionals involved in this legislativecampaign.

• Over 12,000 people wore buttons onMarch 2nd for Education Awareness Day.

• Thousands have sent emails andletters to legislators about issues and bills.

• Close to 4,000 people are on our textalert system to receive notices for action andthey take action when called upon.

• Many educators have spoken athearings or held a roundtableconversation with a lawmaker.

But our work is far from over. We are two months into the session. Key

votes on funding are fast approaching. Weask that if you are not yet plugged in, thenplease do so. You can sign up for our textalert system by texting the keyword “CCEA”to this number: 877877 to stay informedand notified when we need your help to takeaction. As things continue to heat up, weneed to step up our efforts to influenceoutcomes.

tools & resources. We need more funding. We need actionnow!

March 20: More than 10,000 emails were sent over theweekend to members of the Assembly Committee ofCommerce & Labor as soon as we confirmed that two of themost devastating pieces of legislation on collectivebargaining, AB182 and AB249, were scheduled for March25th before this Committee.

We sent the call to action and members could easily seewhat was at stake – if passed, these would cause irreparableharm to our right to collectively bargain and to theprotections we have worked so hard to secure. They wouldremove a portion of the ending fund balance from thecollective bargaining process and from consideration by afact finder; eliminate final and binding fact-finding andimpasse arbitration proceedings; and remove an evergreenclause provision that provides for contract protection whilenegotiations continue after any contract expiration – andsprung into action, flooding the Committee’s mailboxes witha message that urged them to “Stand up for my rights asa working Nevadan. Vote NO on AB182 and AB249.”

March 30: Hundreds of educators and support staffkicked-off their spring break in Carson City to show supportfor funding education. CCEA members were wellrepresented. We had an educator’s lobby day, meeting withlegislators and delivering thousands of postcards signed byteaching professionals from schools across the district,demanding this legislative session adopt more funding forour schools.

Educators had a private meeting with the Governor, whoshared his plan and vision and took questions from ourmembers about our issues and concerns. We discussed theconditions in the classrooms, the teacher shortage, andother critical issues educators face every day. We made itclear that we are part of the solution to improve Nevada’sschools, and the Governor agreed.

As you can see, there have been many opportunities toengage legislators and we are not done yet. The biggest liftis yet to come. So, please stay in touch, visit the websitefrequently, check your email messages, and if you haven’tsigned up for our texting program, please do so now bytexting the keyword “CCEA” to this number: 877877.

We must seize the opportunity to set a new pathfor public education in Nevada.


FUNDINGSB 252: Business License Fee (Budget) SupportSponsored by: Senate Committee on Revenue andEconomic Development

Governor Sandoval’s legislation to tax businesses toincrease education funding was presented before ajoint hearing of the Senate Revenue and EconomicDevelopment Committee and the Assembly TaxationCommittee last Wednesday. The proposed BusinessLicense Fee (BLF) structure in SB252 is equitable,transparent, and stable. Once enacted, the feestructure would serve as a major component forproviding the revenue capacity to support publicservice 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 theimposition, collection and enforcement of the state businesslicense fee to establish a quarterly business license fee based onthe Nevada gross revenue of a business; revising provisionsrelating to the issuance of state business licenses andtransferring certain responsibilities from the Secretary of State tothe Department of Taxation; providing penalties; and providingother matters properly relating thereto.”

Teacher Shortage:We are working to pivot the discussion on fundingfrom supporting the BLF’s $438 million for publiceducation to funding the teacher shortage in ClarkCounty. Our message is simple: We can fund goodprograms like ELL, all day Kindergarten, etc. and buildnew schools, but if we do not have qualified teachersin the classroom, then students won’t learn. We aretelling legislators that there could be as many as 1,000substitutes in Clark County next year — that is 400more than the 600 currently in our schools. Hence, weare moving this issue to secure more funding. Ifsuccessful, this can potentially draw down another$80-$100 million in the budget.

PEER ASSISTANCE &REVIEWSB 332: Peer Assistance and Review SupportSponsored by: Senators Roberson, Ford, andHammond

SB332 would allocate $1 million each year of thebiennium to support the Peer Assistance and Review(PAR) Program in Clark County. CCEA has beenintegral in the development and implementation of theprogram and the development of the legislation.

New teachers without experience are assigned aConsulting Teacher (CT), and they will receive formal,systematic support during their first year. They arethen assessed by both the CT and schooladministration. Currently, the PAR program is beingadministered in the Turn Around Zone. The ongoing,yearlong support that PAR provides has proven to besuccessful in retaining and developing educators inother districts around the country. Help move this billto keep teachers in the profession by ensuring thatthey receive every advantage possible to do their best.The bill will be heard in the near future in the SenateFinance Committee.

“AN ACT making an appropriation to the Clark County SchoolDistrict to carry out a program of peer evaluations of teachers;requiring the Clark County School District to use the money toprovide assistance to teachers in meeting the standards ofeffective teaching; and providing other matters properly relatingthereto.”

PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT & SUPPORTSB 226: Professional Development SupportSponsored by: Senators Farley, Hardy, Woodhouse,Harris and Atkinson

This legislation would allow the Board of Trustees togrant permission to teacher associations like CCEA tobe certified to contract with the District to conductprofessional development classes for teachers andadministrators that is consistent with the district andstate initiatives.

The Professional Development sessions could beconducted outside of the school day or on the schooldistrict’s designated staff development days. Yoursupport of this priority legislation will be vital toensure educators receive the support needed in theclassroom. CCEA has played an integral role in the development ofthe professional development legislation. The bill wasscheduled to be heard in the Senate EducationCommittee.

EVALUATIONSSB 8: Evaluations EngagedSponsored by: Senate Education Committee

This legislation reduces the percentage that studentachievement counts for in a teacher’s evaluation from50 to 40 percent. This bill will be heard in the SenateEducation Committee in the near future.

REIMBURSEMENT SB 133: School Supply Reimbursement SupportSponsored by: Senators Roberson, Farley, Harris,Brower, Lipparelli, Hammond, Denis and Woodhouse

This legislation creates a Teachers’ School SuppliesReimbursement Account to reimburse teachers forcertain out-of-pocket school supplies. Each schooldistrict’s respective board or governing body would beable to create a fund to reimburse teachers forsupplies. The board may contract with the teachers’union to administer the program. Each teacher couldapply for up to $250 (originally $100) per year from thefund. The bill provides for $2.5 million in funding eachyear of the biennium. The Department of Educationwill determine the available funding each year.

This bill was heard in the Senate EducationCommittee on Feb. 17th. The bill passed out of theSenate Education Committee on Mar. 17th with a 5-1vote and extensive amendments to exclude substituteteachers. The bill has been referred to the SenateCommittee on Finance.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING There are numerous collective bargaining billscurrently proposed. There is nothing good to say aboutany of them. Each would cause irreparable harm to ourright to collectively bargain and to the protections wehave worked so hard to secure.

SB 158: Collective Bargaining OpposeSponsored by: Senate Committee on GovernmentAffairs

“AN ACT relating to local governments; requiring the governingbody of a local government to make certain information availableto the public before the governing body meets to approve acollective bargaining agreement or similar agreement; andproviding other matters properly relating thereto.”

Senate Bill 168: Collective Bargaining OpposeSponsored by: Senators Settelmeyer, Goicoechea,Gustavson, and Lipparelli

“AN ACT relating to local governments; revising provisionsrelating to the reopening of a collective bargaining agreementduring a period of fiscal emergency; excluding certain money fromcollective bargaining negotiations and from consideration indetermining the ability of a local government to pay compensationand monetary benefits; and providing other matters properlyrelating thereto.”

AB 182 & 249: Collective Bargaining OpposeSponsored by: Assemblymen Kirner, Wheeler,Hambrick, Dickman, Edwards, Ellison, Gardner, Jones,Nelson, and Oscarson

Specifically, AB182 and AB249 would:• Remove a portion of the ending fund balance fromthe collective bargaining process and fromconsideration by a fact finder;

• Eliminate final and binding fact-finding and impassearbitration proceedings;

• Remove an evergreen clause provision that providesfor contract protection while negotiations continueafter any contract expiration – in essence, it wouldcut our pay, take away our prep time and any othertime currently allocated to provide our students withthe best learning setting.

• These bills will be heard in the Assembly Committeeon Commerce and Labor on Mar. 25th.

PERSAssembly Bill 190: PERS OpposeSponsored by: Assemblymen Kirner, Wheeler, Hickeyand Jones

“AN ACT relating to public employees' retirement; providing forthe establishment of a hybrid retirement program for certainpublic employees; requiring the program to include a definedbenefit plan and a defined contribution plan; setting forth therequired provisions of each plan; requiring certain publicemployers under certain circumstances to make additionalcontributions to the Public Employees' Retirement System toreduce the unfunded liability of the System; and providing othermatters properly relating thereto.” This bill will be heard in theCommittee on Ways and Means.

1. Nevada’s pension system is rated as one of the “bestin class” and is on course to be solvent. We don’tneed to fix what isn’t broken.

2. The current hybrid proposal in the Nevadalegislature would cut benefits by a staggering 54%.It's critical that we educate legislators that not onlydo we pay into PERS, we are not eligible to receiveSocial Security.

3. PERS pension benefits play a vital role in the stateand local economies, supports jobs and increaseseconomic output and tax revenues. Instituting ahybrid plan could be very costly to local economiesall across Nevada. Similar changes in other stateshave cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

NSEA/CCEA 2015 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES: Issues We Are Moving




Attention CCEA Members!

To take advantageof this discount,

visitnevadaballet.org

OR call 702-749-2000and mention code “LOVE515”

Sorry, no children under 5 years of age.

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.

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 theMember Resources section @

www.ccea-nv.org and click on Attraction Tickets.

ATTENTION!Effective Monday, April 6, 2015

Regal movie tickets will increasein cost. The new ticket price:

$8.50

CCEA Members Discount: Save $1,000 per person

Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches • July 21-28, 2015Combine time in France’s marvelous capital with discoveries of quaint towns along

the Seine and in the picturesque Normandy region. Embark in Paris, sailing toVernon, 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, whereyou choose between an included excursion to the poignant Normandy landing beaches or a fascinating “Taste ofNormandy.” Visit Joan of Arc’s historic Rouen, and in Conflans, choose between a visit of Vincent van Gogh’sAuvers-sur-Oise or Napoleon and Josephine’s elegant Chateau de Malmaison before heading back to Paris. Duringyour 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].

CCEA member receive a 20% discount offtuition and 50% off initial registration fee ($40value).

• 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 89146702-220-4384 | www.Kidsrusvegas.com

Are you looking for resources to assist you inthe 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.


Dedicated Educator AwardTo be a candidate for this award, an individualmust have served as a dedicated educator for15 years or more.

• Licensed personnel working on theteachers’ salary schedule who are membersof CCEA are eligible for nomination.

• One person will be selected to receivethis award.

STAR Educator AwardThis award is presented to licensed personnelwho have done an outstanding and exemplaryjob in their field.

• Nominees must have five or more yearsof experience. Three recipients will beselected to receive this award.

• One recipient will be chosen from eachof the following areas of service: ElementarySchool, Middle School and High School.

Pam Chambers Service to CCEAAwardThis award honors those individuals whoreceive little or no recognition for a job welldone in service to teachers and the ClarkCounty Education Association.

• Persons eligible for this award areAssociation Representatives, Committeemembers and individuals who serve CCEA inany capacity other than by being Officers orExecutive Board members.


• One recipient will be chosen from eachof the following areas of service: ElementarySchool, Middle School and High School.

Steve Cozine Leadership AwardThis award will honor a member of CCEA whohas distinguished himself/herself throughtireless effort, long hours, and creative laborfor the benefit of Clark County teachers.

• To be eligible for this award, thenominee must be an active CCEA memberand hold, or have held, one or more of thefollowing positions: Committee Chairperson,CCEA Executive Board or NSEA Board ofDirectors, or an elected CCEA or NSEA office.


Friends of Education AwardWith the introduction of this award, CCEArecognizes individuals, organizations, orbusinesses that have demonstrated a strongcommitment to excellence in education inClark County.


CCEA Humanitarian Certificate AwardThis certificate will recognize the volunteerefforts of a licensed employee to CCEA, ourschools, or the community in the areas ofeducation, health, environment or humanservices. It aims to also acknowledgeoutstanding humanitarian service toeducators and students and the efforts toovercome the odds, moving beyond specifichardships or family/societal difficulties toenhance the quality of life for others.

Nomination forms are available on the CCEA website at www.ccea-nv.org.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.

Nominations due April 17

Join Us in Recognizing Outstanding CCEA Members & Licensed Employees

The CCEA Awards Committee is proud to announce the opening of nominations for the 2015 CCEAAwards. 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 CozineLeadership Award, Friends of Education Award and the recently created CCEA Humanitarian CertificateAward. We encourage every school to submit at least one nomination.

NOTARY PUBLIC SERVICES

Did you know that CCEA offersnotary public services FREE ofcharge to all CCEA members?That’s right, NO charge regardlessof the number of documents.Take advantage of this benefit.

Call the CCEA office to set up anappointment. You will need your documents anda valid ID.

Schedule your appointment by calling 702-733-3063.

Members Only

Nevada Study

SessionNevada School Law ExamNevada Constitution Exam

U.S. Constitution Exam

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2015Thursday, April 23, 2015

Place: Teachers Health Trust BuildingSedway Conference Room2950 E. Rochelle AvenueLas Vegas, NV 89121

Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Seating is limited. Call 702-473-1003 or e-mail Courtney Pattonat [email protected] or through Interact

with your selected date.Hurry, classes fill quickly!

For your convenience, the Nevada Lawbooklet may be purchased at the study

session for $15.00 — payment only throughpayroll deduction (form to be submitted at

check-in).

•• Exam Information ••

IMPORTANT: You MUST pre-register forthe exams. The registration link(http://www.unr.edu/educ/el/nvlaw/) isavailable approximately 5 weeks prior tothe exam.

Date: Saturday, May 2, 2015

Place: Keller Middle School301 N. Fogg Street, LV 89110(Stewart & Fogg, off East Charleston Blvd.)

Time: 10:30 a.m. (doors open at 9:00 a.m. andwill close at 10:15 a.m.)

The CCEA Ethnic Minorities Affairs Committee would like torecognize the National Commemoration of the ArmenianGenocide Centennial. April 24, 2015 is the one hundredthanniversary of the Armenian Genocide, an attemptedextermination of the Armenian people by the OttomanEmpire. Worldwide there will be ceremonies to rememberthis genocide. American-Armenian band System Of ADown will commemorate the 100th anniversary of thegenocide on the world stage with their “Wake Up TheSouls” arena tour in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

The Armenian Genocide, also known as the ArmenianHolocaust, was the Ottoman government's systematicextermination of its minority Armenian subjects from theirhistoric homeland within the territory constituting thepresent-day Republic of Turkey. The total number of peoplekilled as a result has been estimated to be 1.5 million.

The overwhelming majority of historians from acrossthe world and numerous academic institutions onHolocaust and Genocide Studies recognize the ArmenianGenocide. As of 2014, the governments of twenty-twocountries, including Russia, France, as well as forty-sixstates of the United States of America, have recognized theevents as genocide.

On May 7, 8 and 9, 2015, thousands from across theglobe will gather in Washington, D.C. to commemorate thecentennial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Whileremembering those who were lost, the creation of a newArmenia and the thriving Armenian communities around theworld will be celebrated.



4230 McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121Tel. 702-733-3063 • www.ccea-nv.org

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLAS VEGAS, NV

PERMIT #57

CCEAid No.

STAY CONNECTED.Follow us on Facebook & Twitter. For last minute information, visit the CCEA website atwww.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 teachingprofession and for the students you educate.

Your involvement during the 2015 Legislative Session will be critical in our ability to secure MOREresources for our students and funding for our schools. Staying in touch with you will beessential to our success, so we must activate a rapid-response communication system to bringyou 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.


express mar apr2015 2

Documents