LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A special education teacher at Crestwood Elementary asked 8 News Now to keep her identity anonymous so she does not get backlash for coming forward.
“It’s making me think, is being a teacher worth it?” she asked.
Decades of having a passion for teaching are now coming into question for her.
“There is no protection for us, our pay is not very good, it’s more hassle to do our jobs and we are given extra duties all the time,” she said.
The teacher told 8 News Now that a key moment that made her question her career was in December, when 15 out of 40 teachers quit, which left her with having to manage another class instead of her special education group.
“My kids got pushed to the side,” she said.
In addition to that, violence against staff was increasing.
“They will punch you, hit you, or slap you and there’s not much you could do about it,” she said. “So you aren’t feeling very safe in the building, there is no security to help you out.”
In an earlier interview with CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara, he said the school district has not been fully staffed since 1994.
To address staff shortages, Nevada now only requires a high school diploma for substitute teachers.
The teacher said she is giving it one more chance to see if anything does change within the district, and that she is making it her mission to uplift other teachers who are there.
Earlier this week, Dr. Jara said CCSD will provide panic buttons to every employee as part of recent additions to school safety measures, but it is not clear when that will start.
To give a full perspective of how many teachers left the district, CCSD provided 8 News Now with the following data.
Total number of licensed employees in CCSD:
- Aug. 1, 2019: 19,586
- Aug. 3, 2020: 18,707
- Aug. 2, 2021: 18,811
Licensed personnel separations from CCSD:
- 2019-20: 1,395
- 2020-21: 1,796
- 2021-22 (as of March 31, 2022): 1,318
Licensed personnel hired into CCSD:
- 2019-20: 2,017
- 2020-21: 1,675
- 2021-22 (as of March 31, 2022): 1,885