Award-winning teacher’s tenure cut short due to Clark County school budget
Every morning in Angela Fouchers third-grade classroom, students walk through the door, shake her hand and say good morning to the Clark County School Districts N ew T eacher of the Y ear.
The district presented the award in March to the 24-year-old rookie at Gene Ward Elementary School, 1555 E. Hacienda Ave. But not even the school districts best new teacher is immune to budget cuts, as in about a month, she will be among those teachers surplused, a term the district uses to describe employees who are laid off.
Because student-teacher ratios are projected to increase by three students for the 2011-12 school year, teachers with the least seniority are surplused in order for the school to comply with the mandated ratio.
Its April 14 and Wild Hair Day in honor of the schools reading week. Students and teachers alike have dyed their hair and fixed it to look as if they encountered an electrical socket.
Fouchers full, tightly curled hair has been brushed out so as not to be outdone by her students. Her cheery attitude and full head of hair help cover the fact that she is battling cancer.
Foucher was diagnosed in October, but she hasnt let it affect her performance in the classroom.
Its vital to my students that I show up ready to teach, she said. Teaching is a way of life, not just a job.
Effective educators understand this. You have to change and shape your life around this profession. You need to make it a part of your life.
Foucher admits to sometimes feeling lethargic and not up to full speed. Its a side effect of the radiation therapy she gets twice a week to break up the tumor in one of her kidneys.
She schedules her treatments in the afternoons so as not to miss a day of class unless absolutely necessary.
That kind of dedication is one of the reasons principal Phyllis Morgan nominated her for the New T eacher of the Y ear award.
Shes been outstanding, Morgan said. She puts in those practices and strategies that, typically, veteran teachers just instinctively know how to do, but she does, too.
I knew right away she might be a person I might want to nominate. She comes in singing every day. Shes happy, shes got a genuinely kind, compassionate spirit. Shes just like a cheerleader in the classroom, encouraging them to learn.
When the school held parent-teacher conferences, some of Fouchers students parents couldnt make it to the school for a face-to-face meeting. Instead of making a phone call, Foucher drove to each students home to have a conference with the family.
Dedication like that will be missed, Morgan said, as Foucher and five other teachers at Ward will be surplused at the end of the school year because of proposed budget cuts.
Foucher will join the district wide pool of other teachers hoping to be able to transfer to another school in the district.
If not placed, shell join the other thousands in the Las Vegas Valley out of work and without health insurance. She said she wont know if she has a job until school starts again in August.
Teachers are released based on seniority, and even the school districts top educators have to fall in line.
Theres really nothing you can do, Foucher said. The people that are safe are not necessarily the most effective teachers.
One of the things I had to get used to very quickly is that Im part of a bigger system. Its not CCSDs fault that the cuts are happening, but Id certainly like to see this idea restructured.
Its going to be extremely hard to leave. I love this school, and I love teaching this is the perfect place for me.
Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.
