NEVADA VIEWS: ‘Groundhog Day’ with the teacher shortage

When I awoke to the July 31 front-page headline “Teacher shortage a crisis,” I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t starring in my own version of “Groundhog Day.”

According to the article, the Clark County School District has twice as many job openings as in previous years, yet no one really seems to understand why. Luckily, our tax dollars are hard at work to solve the problem. Carol Tolx, the district’s chief human resources officer, whose most recent contract is for more than $200,000 a year, said she “would like to dig deeper into qualitative data to pinpoint the reasons (teachers) are leaving.”

Likewise, our hired, then fired, then hired again Superintendent Jesus Jara proudly stated the district is working feverishly to rectify the situation.

Why then, is the Review-Journal claiming there’s a crisis? Because there is a crisis taking place within the district and public education across the country, but there’s nothing remotely new about it, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

That should be the story. But it’s even more depressing than the one you printed.

My family has a combined total of 66 years experience within this school district, and, during that time, we have witnessed a continued decline. Each year, classrooms are crammed full with fewer students who value the education they’re receiving, and in many cases, for good reason. Their parents and guardians are less supportive of teachers and less likely to be present at home with their children. The on-site administrators are understaffed and overworked, leaving them little time to properly evaluate their instructors and make positive changes on their campus.

As a result, the most inspired and effective teachers are the least appreciated while the worst among them are more likely to be tenured. Likewise, the education of the students who want to learn is being sacrificed for those who have zero interest in being there.

So we’re left with fewer quality teachers and fewer students who care. No wonder there’s a teacher shortage.

These issues, as well as countless others, have enveloped the district — as well as most large districts throughout our country — for many years despite a record amount of money being pumped into the system. For these reasons, it is vital for students and parents to have more choices when it comes to their education. But thanks to unions and their connections to entrenched politicians, there is no possibility of light at the end of the tunnel.

We need to radically rethink our approach to education. Otherwise, teachers will continue to leave at alarming rates while generation after generation of young people graduate without ever having learned a thing.

Gabriel Spiezio writes from Las Vegas.