New teachers won’t be able to switch as easily

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Saturday, June 7, 2003 | 3:50 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: June 8, 2003

Turnover isn't the Clark County School District's only problem -- there's also teacher migration, as educators frequently move from school to school.

With 277 campuses -- and 12 more opening in the fall -- there's been no shortage of opportunities for teachers looking to switch schools.

But those frequent-flier days will soon be a thing of the past. Beginning this fall, new teachers will be required to stay at one school a minimum of three years before requesting a transfer. Veteran teachers will be allowed to seek transfers every two years.

"We know stability is critical to a school's success, and that's what we're trying to build on," said George Ann Rice, the district's associate superintendent of human resources.

The Clark County Education Association, representing the majority of the district's teachers, opposed the transfer limits.

"It's difficult to be told you have to stay at a job where you're unhappy," Mary Ella Holloway, union's president, said. "Teachers usually don't want to leave an at-risk school because of the kids, it's because of the administration. Forcing them to stay won't improve the quality of instruction."

At Desert Pines High School, where 35 teachers quit last year, Principal Roger Jacks knew high turnover was leading to low morale. It also didn't help that Desert Pines was the only Clark County high school to land on the state's "needing improvement" list because of low test scores.

The core teaching staff had grown so weary of the turnover, one veteran joked that she never bothered to get to know the newcomers until she was sure they would stick around.

Jacks decided to attack the problem at its core. He asked teachers for their input on how to improve the work environment, and then made changes based in part on their suggestions. He also divided the school into small "professional learning communities," which offered more opportunities for mentoring, problem solving and communicating, Jacks said.

"Unless you have buy-in from every element of your school, the teachers, the students, the parents, everyone, it's not going to work," Jacks said. "I think all of us here have recommitted ourselves to the task at hand."

As a result, just eight teachers in addition to McCormick have given their notice at Desert Pines this year -- one is retiring, one is leaving the state, two took jobs in other Nevada school districts, two will help open the new Shadow Ridge High School while two more are transferring to other Clark County schools.

When Jacks announced the record-low turnover at a staff development day late in May, the room "exploded in cheers," he said.

"It meant that much to them," Jacks said.