‘Tough job’: CCSD still has over 1,000 vacancies as Lombardo welcomes new teachers

Excitement and nerves floated in the air of the Caesars Palace ballroom Tuesday morning as more than 900 new Clark County School District teachers and licensed professionals gathered to meet with union members and listen to remarks from Gov. Joe Lombardo.

While the first day of school jitters are prevalent even among classroom leaders, the Clark County Education Association hoped its welcome event would ease the minds of hundreds of new teachers before classes begin on Aug. 12.

Some of the new hires migrated to Nevada for the job, while others are transitioning from charter or private schools to public education. A few are fresh out of school and entering the workforce for the first time. But most are in search of the same things: higher pay and better benefits.

The demand for new hires continues. On Tuesday afternoon, there were 1,078 vacancies, with 94 percent of teaching positions filled for the 2024-2025 school year, according to the district. As of Nov. 8, the district had 1,095 classroom vacancies, the Review-Journal reported.

In 2023, Lombardo signed a historic education funding bill into law. The $2.6 billion price tag ensured proper per pupil funding, adequate resources and appropriate salaries, Lombardo said.

Lombardo calls himself an “education governor” and spoke to the new teachers about the importance of their role. He acknowledged how CCSD is perceived on a national level. US World News & World Report ranks Nevada No. 45 in education, while the district remains the fifth largest in the country and serves over 300,000 students.

“That is not any fault of anybody in this room or the association that represents you,” Lombardo said. “It’s the fault of people in my position.”

He encouraged the new hires to make connections with others in the room and to rely on the union to guide them through issues they may encounter. “You don’t have all the answers,” he said.

CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita said the event was both to welcome new teachers to the district and invite them to join the union, but attendance and union membership were both voluntary.

“The event was very good, very enthusiastic. I think there’s a lot of excitement on the part of new educators,” he said.

‘Tough job’

Joana Barajas, 23, graduated from Nevada State University in 2023 and is teaching second grade starting in August. As a native Nevadan, she’s excited to build connections with students and families in the classroom.

While Barajas is happy with her salary and benefits, she said there’s still work to do.

“It is a tough job,” she said. “What’s important is just having more support for teachers.”

Barajas has a dual license, meaning she has a degree in elementary education and a concentration on special education. Teaching special education could add $5,000 to her salary, but for now, she’s only teaching in general education classes.

While she’s ready to watch light bulbs flicker on in her students’ minds, she admits not everyone is cut out for education.

Teachers are often more than educators. Sometimes, they play the role of nurse or therapist. It falls on teachers to help create safe environments where students can take refuge, Barajas said.

“Dealing with kids is not easy,” she said. “Teachers should be getting paid for what the job requires.”

Transitioning to public schools

Charmonda Hatcher-Wallace, 51, believes in retaining current teachers rather than hiring new ones, she said.

“I don’t know if I would say it’s important to hire new teachers, I think that it’s more important to respect and pay the teachers that they already have — that any district already has — so that there will not be teacher shortages,” she said.

Hatcher-Wallace is transitioning from charters and private schools to CCSD after 15 years in the teaching profession. Her reasons: Benefits and growth opportunities she found with the district.

A lack of appropriate pay is her biggest reason for joining public education. She topped out her salary at charter schools, she said.

“Even though I hear a lot of complaints about CCSD’s salary, it’s still more than what any charter school teacher or private school teacher is making,” Hatcher-Wallace said.

Union protections

A somewhat new Nevada resident, Matthew Keenan, 28, is returning to the classroom after a hiatus. Migrating from North Carolina, Keenan took a break to pursue his master’s degree at UNLV, but come fall, he’ll be teaching band class at Sandy Valley School.

The pay for teachers in his previous state wasn’t livable, and he lacked a union, he said. With CCSD, he feels protected by CCEA. The salary and benefit differences between the two districts is “leaps and bounds.”

He understands that there is a teacher shortage across the U.S., he said. In 2023, the National Center for Education Statistics reported 86 percent of schools struggled to hire teachers for the 2023-2024 school year.

“It’s a matter of hoping whatever is causing people to leave can be fixed,” Keenan said.

Contact Ella Thompson at ethompson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @elladeethompson on X.