A necessary step or a step back for the Clark County School District?
The day after CCSD trustees voted to push out Supt.
Dr. Jesus Jara, the attention now shifts toward the future of the school district and who will lead it.
SIX..
STARTS RIGHT NOW!A NECESSARY STEP....*OR*..A STEP BACK.... FOR THECLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT?HELLOAND...THANKS FOR JOINING US....FOR 13 ACTION NEWS... LIVE AT-6-.I’M TRICIA KEAN.AND I’M TODD QUINONES.THE DAY AFTER... C-C-S-DTRUSTEES VOTED TO FIRESUPERINTENDENT JESUS JARA... THEATTENTION NOW SHIFTS... TO WHATHAPPENS NOW...?13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER...JEREMY CHEN WAS AT LAST NIGHT’SSCHOOL BOARD MEETING.HE JOINS US NOW...WITHMORE ON THE POSSIBLE NEXT STEPSFOR THE DISTRICT...JEREMY?MANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT’S GOINGTO HAPPEN NOW WITH THE SCHOOLDISTRICT AFTER DR. JARA’SFIRING.SOME SAY IT’POS LITICALOTHERSSAY IT WAS A NEEDED STEP."There’s blood in the water.When you have a political hitjob like this, there’s bloo idnthe water."CLARK COUNTY EDUCATIONASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTORJOHN VELLARDITA IS FRUSTRATED BYTHE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTTRUSTEES’ DECISION TO FIRESUPERINTENDENT JESUS JARA.HE’S CONFUSED WHY THE TRUSTEESWANTED TO NIX DR. JARA’S JOBIMMEDIATELY- WITH ABOUT SIXWEEKS TO GO BEFORE THESUPERINTENDENT’S EVALUATION."That superintendent should bejudged on his performance justlike an educator in aclassroom."TRUSTEE KATIE WILLIAMS WHO VODTEAGAINST FIRING DR. JARA-ALSO FELT THIS WAS POLITICAL-AND SETS C-C-S-D ONTO A PATH OFUNCERTAINTY."They had one agenda and thatwas to get rid of SuperintendentJesus Jara.
They succeededobviously and they don’t have aplan going forward.
They were soblindsided by their hatred ofthis man."SHE SAYS DR. JARA WASN’T PERFECTBUT PROVIDED A TEMPERING VOICEIN THE DISTRICT.TRUSTEE WILLIAMS FEARS THEREWILL BE INSTABILITY- THAT COULDREFLECT BADLY TO POTENTIALCANDIDATES FOR SUPERINTENDENT-AND RESULT IN LAWMAKERSCONSIDERING APPOINTED SCHOOLBOARDS."They don’t want this chaos inthe district.
They don’t wantthis chaos in the state.
It’sembarrassing.
I said that on therecord last night.
It’sembarrassing for this entireboard.
I’m embarrassed."CONVERSATION...TRUSTEE DANIELLEFORD WHO VOTED TO OUST DR. JARASAYS- SHE HEARD FROM DISTRICTSTAFF MEMBERS AFRAID OF DR.JARA- SAYING HE CREATED ACULTURE OF INTIMIDATION ANDRETALIATION AND FELT HE WASN’THONEST.TRUSTEE FORD ALSO SAYS SHETHINKS THE DISTRICT WILL STILLBE ABLE TO OPERATE- AND FEELSTHE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT SHOULDBE SOMEONE WHO’S FAMILIAR WITHSOUTHERN NEVADA.VICKI KRIEDEL WITH THE NATIONALEDUCATION ASSOCIATION OFSOUTHERN NEVADA- SAYS SHE TRUSTSTHE BOARD’S DECISION."I don’t believe they would haveterminated his contract if theydidn’t have valid reasons."SHE SAYS DR. JARA’S TENUREWASN’T PERFECT- AND FELT HEFOCUSED TOO MUCH ON STATS ANDNUMBERS RATHER THAN THE OVERALLWELL-BEING OF STUDENTS.KRIEDEL SAYS SHE HOLDS THE SAMETRUST THAT THE BOARD CAN CHOOSEA BETTER LEADER."We can only go forward fromhere.
It’s been really rough,but I think it can get betterwith the right leadership."BASED ON THE WRITING IN HISCONTRACT-SUPERINTENDENT JARA WILL REMAINON THE JOB FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYSAND THEN BE PAID THE FULL AMOUNTOF HIS SALARY AND OTHER BENEFITSWHENEVER HIS CONTRACT WASSUPPOSED TO END.HIANS NUAL SALARY IS ABOUT 320THOUSAND DOLLARS
