Board votes to increase jobs for computer specialists

By Emily Richmond

Thursday, April 15, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.

The Clark County School Board voted Wednesday to tentatively approve adding 13 elementary computer specialists for the 2004-05 academic year, to maintain school computers, coach classroom teachers and in some cases instruct students.

At the height of the legislative budget crisis last June, Superintendent Carlos Garcia ordered a hiring freeze with nearly 1,000 teaching positions still to fill. He later reassigned 209 technology specialists, 111 literacy specialists and 91 Gifted and Talented Education program teachers to regular classroom positions to cut the teacher vacancy rate in half. The specialists were restored to their original assignments before the school year began in August.

Jerri Mausbach, principal of Alamo Elementary School, shares her computer specialist, Aaron Markovic, with two other schools. Markovic is assigned to Alamo just six days a month. If the district does increase the number of specialists it could mean Alamo gets more of his time, Mausbach said.

"I'd love to keep him here," Mausbach said Monday. "He's phenomenal -- he doesn't just do hardware, he teaches lessons and is terrific with our students."

Markovic, who was been with the district for nine years, said he was disappointed when the hiring freeze last summer resulted in his being reassigned to a fourth grade classroom.

"I was ready to do my part -- it's not like the district has a windfall of resources," Markovic said Wednesday. "If they needed to use me in a classroom position in a pinch, I was ready to do that. But I was glad when I was sent back."

In addition to maintaining more than 500 computers at Alamo, Christensen and Roger Bryan elementary schools, Markovic is responsible for coaching classroom teachers on how to use the latest software and instructional tools.

"Teachers track grades using computers, they generate report cards, they communicate online with parents," Markovic said. "Technology in the classroom is no longer icing on the cake, it's now a necessity."