We of the Clark County Staff Organization (CCSO), organizing and representation staff union of the Clark County Education Association (CCEA), condemn the leadership of Superintendent Jesus Jara and Deputy Superintendent Brenda Larsen Mitchell during this school year’s reopening.

In a return to in-person instruction, district leadership has presided over complete institutional failure. They are guilty of gross negligence to employees, students, their families, and the broader community. They have disregarded rights to collective bargaining, and refused to make use of available funds to create solutions for controlling spread and providing quality healthcare during a pandemic. They must be held to account for their malfeasance and violations of labor rights.

As ears and allies for the licensed staff of CCSD, we have witnessed a failure to enact proper policy to quarantine and contact trace in order to mitigate death and disease, and save lives. We have heard firsthand accounts of active suppression of contact reporting with the intent to keep buildings open at any cost. It’s reasonable to propose the fifth largest school district in the country is playing a role in maintaining Nevada’s hotspot status.

Unsupported building administrators have overseen unclean conditions and lack of compliance with federal law, while policy from the district has remained largely misadvised and mute. Teachers have seen their class sizes increase, and needed positions go unfilled. They are forced to use personal time for testing and earned sick leave for quarantine, all while dealing with an often unreachable symptom-screening service for clearance to return to work.

Teaching conditions are learning conditions. CCSD is failing both employees and students under leadership’s refusal to make appropriate use of close to one billion dollars in federal aid. Employees can serve and be kept safe. Students can learn and be kept safe.

Please sign your support and consider relating your experience as an employee, student, family or community member to district trustees at the September 9th school board meeting. You will be contacted and guidance will be provided if needed.

Signed,

Clark County Staff Organization, unionized staff of Clark County Education Association