Assistant Principal offers solutions for Clark County School District
CCSD employee outlines the possibilities of motivating students and teachers
by Krystal Carter
Clark County high schools that might have been overlooked in the past are seeing many students go to college and make big impacts after leaving Las Vegas, but this hasn’t been an easy task. Clark County School District schools are afflicted with dissatisfaction amid students and faculty over the lack of resources, but one woman believes this can be overcome with learning to motivate students and teachers.
After 29 years of working in Clark County Public Schools, Kimberly Perry-Carter now serves as an assistant principal at Mojave High School, a campus in Clark County that serves diverse and low-income students.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020 via email, Ms. Perry-Carter answered questions regarding her knowledge of the dissatisfaction troubling CCSD schools and what has worked to motivate students to attend college.
As an administrator, how do you ensure students that they’re getting the resources that they need to prevail, while also fighting to make sure you and your faculty get proper accommodations from the school board?
Each school has a strategic budget and we are allowed to spend money based on what the school identifies as necessary. As long as the spending supports our school performance plan we do not have problems with providing resources to our teachers. Money is allocated based on special populations within your building.
Most teachers on our campus are able to get the resources they need, again as long as the purchases support our school performance plan of increasing graduation rates, English proficiency, and post-secondary course preparation.
How can students take matters into their own hands to advocate for better representation?
Students should participate in leadership opportunities on their campuses, in the city government, as well as at the district level. Most students do not know that they can speak at school board meetings to have their concerns heard.
What are common needs that students who return from college say they wish had been fulfilled during their time in secondary education?
Financial literacy, scholarship searches, better understanding on how to write essays and research for papers.
Have you, in your 29 years of experience, noticed specific groups of students that are heavily impacted by the limited resources provided?
Students from poorer areas/low socio-economic status, students of color, students in the lower level classes, English Language Learners, students with Individualized Educational Program (IEP), and students with behavior problems are often negatively impacted by lack of resources. When schools do not have additional funding these students are often the ones who feel the sting.
What have these effects led to for those students, in terms of how they’re perceived by their teachers?
Many times these students were seen as the “bad” students or the students who weren’t expected to do much. When students get labeled teachers might not push them to reach their full potential.
“Being the 5th largest district we have to do better.”
What would you suggest to the school board about mediating this unrest amongst students and faculty?
I would ask the board to continue to fund each school appropriately based on the special populations within the school. I would also ask that the schools be allowed to spend as they need as long as the spending is in alignment with the district objectives and the school’s performance plan. I would also ask the board to listen to the concerns of students, teachers and administrators, and create task forces to help come up with solutions.
Given what we have discussed, what solutions do you see capable of improving CCSD’s current system?
The recruiting and hiring of qualified teachers is an area that needs to be improved. Being the 5th largest district we have to do better.
Teachers need to be able to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Providing training that teaches teachers how to build relationships will help teachers build trust with the populations they serve.
Solutions for getting students ready for post secondary options starts in elementary school. Teachers need to create learning environments where students can maintain the natural curiosity about learning found in kindergarten. Students also need to understand how to set and achieve academic goals that will increase post secondary opportunities.
Email: perrykk1@nv.ccsd.net
Phone: (702) 799–0432 x4205
