Meet the District A candidates for Clark County School Board

Henderson residents Emily Stevens and Karl Catarata will compete for the Trustee A position on the Clark County School Board in the Nov. 5 election. The two came in first and second in the June primary, with Stevens receiving 400 more votes than Catarata.

District A encompasses much of Henderson, as well as Boulder City and Laughlin.

Stevens, a mother of two, said she has witnessed the education system firsthand, and her business and community experience have given her the skills to “move the needle” on the school board. She went to a school in the district for one year growing up but spent most of her childhood homeschooled or in private school. Her own children attended charter schools and then to CCSD high school, where her youngest is in his senior year.

She serves as the vice president of business development for SCE Credit Union — a job in which she said she works to engage in the community and create partnerships. She also serves on the board for several high schools and education groups.

Catarata went to CCSD schools and described himself as being fueled by family and education. At 26, he does not have any kids in the school district yet — though he said his kids will go to CCSD schools when it is time.

A self-described “public servant at heart,” Catarata is the Nevada state director for the Human Rights Campaign. He is also the chairman of the Nevada commission on mentoring, where he facilitates mentorship programs throughout the state. He also serves on the board of the Discovery Children’s Museum.

School safety

Stevens and Catarata have both made school safety a top concern.

Catarata highlighted his endorsements from law enforcement and said he wanted to ensure students and teachers felt protected in the classroom.

Stevens said that she hears many teachers saying they have left or are thinking of leaving because they do not feel safe in the classroom — something she blames on weak disciplinary policy.

“When the school district can provide a safer environment that is conducive to learning, I think our teachers will enjoy it again,” she said. “They’ll be able to teach again, instead of just managing the classroom of sometimes chaos.”

Stevens is endorsed by the Clark County Education Association, the union that represents over 18,000 educators in the county, largely for her advocacy around safety, according to CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita. He told the Review-Journal that Stevens would be a breath of fresh air on the board, and praised her goal of teacher retention.

“She wants kids to learn. She wants kids to be challenged in the classroom,” he told the Review-Journal.

Superintendent search

The school board is in the process of selecting a superintendent, a position previously set to be decided upon prior to the election, but now may be delayed, which means the new trustees would have a say in the process.

If Stevens were to be involved in the decision making, she said she would choose a “culture changer.” She also hopes to change the governance structure so that the board has more oversight over the superintendent.

Catarata said that no matter who the superintendent is, he will be ready to hold that person accountable on day one. He describes the top issues as his “three R’s”: results and student achievement, resources for teachers and students, and readiness for colleges or careers.

Connecting with the community

Both candidates emphasized the importance of connections to the community — Stevens said she wanted to have more town halls, and Catarata highlighted his longstanding relationships in the community.

He also praised current District A Trustee Lisa Guzman, who has endorsed Catarata, for her work in the community.

“With Karl, we will be able to build a brighter future for our students as we continue striving for excellence in education,” she wrote in her endorsement.

Catarata said that Guzman made many of the right choices, especially when it came to focusing on rural communities and student achievement. He said that he hopes to continue the work she has done in student success and development, but said he will bring his own “twist” to and “fresh appeal” to the work.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com.