LETTER: Deans are vital to handling discipline in Clark County School District
July 5, 2019 - 9:00 pm
On the issue of the Clark County School District eliminating school deans to take care of a financial shortfall:
Superintendent Jesus Jara does not understand how secondary schools handle discipline. The dean is essential in keeping a school functioning properly. Every secondary public school has a number of attendees whose primary purpose is to disrupt any classroom they are in. It is usually a small number (3 to 5 percent), but even one disruptor can negate the educational opportunities of every other student in the classroom.
The dean and the counselor are safety valves in removing the disruptor so that teachers can carry out their responsibilities to other students in that class.
If deans are removed, the district will be headed toward the California model: less education in the classroom, teachers being threatened or attacked, other students being bullied or hurt, and disruptors having a major negative impact.
I have another idea how to handle the $17 million shortfall: Stop educating illegals at the expense of the American taxpayer. I would guess that we have 10,000 illegals in the district. That means we have to hire an additional 400 teachers. The cost of those teachers: about $17 million.