New teachers told they have only a week to get on track

Terry Webster

Friday, Aug. 24, 2001 | 10:12 a.m.

How long does it take to tell whether the coming school year will be a success?

The Clark County School District's 1,300 new teachers have about one week to get on the right track, they learned Thursday during an orientation session.

"You have to set the tone during the first week of school," Clark County School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia told them. "You have to let students know what you will and won't accept. If it goes much longer than that, it can all get lost."

The challenge for the new teachers begins Aug. 30, the first day of school.

Teachers during the orientation reviewed ways to effectively manage the classroom and create successful lesson plans. The orientation was held the Rio hotel.

Politicians and school officials kicked off the event with a series of motivational talks on the importance of being a teacher.

"If you don't truly love children then do us a favor and get out now," Garcia told the crowd of about 650 teachers. "We don't need you here."

Garcia also stressed the importance of teachers believing that all students can learn.

Gov. Kenny Guinn asked teachers to begin encouraging students as early as first grade to attend college.

Guinn also announced a change he is planning for the Millennium Scholarship. Guinn said high school students will only have to live in the state one year, instead of two, to be eligible for the scholarship.

Students with a B average or higher who pass the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam are eligible to receive $10,000 toward college.

Guinn said he hopes the one-year provision will encourage more teachers with children to come to Nevada.

After his speech, Guinn told the Sun the most important issue in education in Nevada is literacy.

"We need more dollars and we need to take care of and work on other things, but we have to have every student reading at grade level by third grade," Guinn said.

One of the school district's main thrusts this year also is literacy by grade three.

Teachers said the orientation helped them get ready for the coming school year.

"I thought it was exciting," said first-year teacher Kelly Laffey, who hails from an area just outside of Philadelphia. "They have a lot of enthusiasm for this school district."

Former New York City teacher Fredel Lee said Clark County should be "a piece of cake" compared to where she taught.

Lee said she taught in a neighborhood riddled with drug dealers and students with "severe needs."

Amy Kreuzer, a Las Vegas native, said the orientation was inspiring.

"They didn't sugar coat anything, which I thought was good," she said.

Even John Jasonek, executive director of the Clark County Education Association, the teachers union, was pleased with the program.

Having the politicians present -- and talking about education in Nevada -- was an crucial step, he said.

"Hopefully, we're moving in the right direction and we will see some real changes," said Jasonek, a frequent critic of administration policy.

Another orientation for new teachers was scheduled for today at the Rio.