Bill would reward Nevada teachers for professional growth
An emergency bill in the works with under two weeks remaining in the Nevada legislative session would ensure raises for school district employees who complete professional growth plans.
Clark County Education Association Executive Director John Vellardita said the proposed legislation stems from conversations that started before the session began.
“This is not a new concept to anybody in leadership,” Vellardita said Thursday. “This is not the 11th-hour bang-out.”
Language of the bill, which will be introduced by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford, D-Las Vegas, was not immediately available Thursday. Ford was not immediately available for comment Thursday.
Clark County School District officials declined to comment on the proposal until they see the specific language.
In addition to requiring the district to create a fund specifically for raises related to professional growth plans, Vellardita said the bill will require the district to solidify a policy to create incentives for educators to grow based on the needs of the students in their schools.
Salary schedules typically focus solely on years of service and advanced degrees, not professional growth in the field, Vellardita said.
“This is a radical departure,” he said.
Vellardita and the teachers union also recently filed an unfair labor complaint against the district over an issue related to the professional growth system.
The union claims the district unilaterally altered how teachers can move ahead on the system, which changes how and when teachers are eligible for raises.
Bruce Snyder, the executive director of the states’ Employee Relations Management Board, is recommending the board hear the union’s complaint at the July 11 meeting.
The emergency bill is unrelated to the unfair labor complaint issue, Vellardita said.
Contact Meghin Delaney at 702-383-0281 or mdelaney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MeghinDelaney on Twitter.
An emergency bill in the works with under two weeks remaining in the Nevada legislative session would ensure raises for school district employees who complete professional growth plans.
Changes to Professional Growth System for Clark County teachers
— College coursework earns 5 contact units per semester credit, 3.5 units per quarter credit. Original manual gave eight units per semester credit, five units per quarter credit.
— Special education teachers in self-contained classrooms can move across salary schedule every three years. Original manual allowed such teachers to move across every two years.
— Massive Open Online Courses will no longer accrue contact units, except for those completed between June 2, 2016 and May 1, 2017. Original manual gave one contact unit for each 180-minute time period.
Source: CCSD Memo to staff dated April 6; original Professional Growth System reference guide.
