Letter: School District loses applicant in cracks

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 | 7:10 a.m.

Emily Richmond's recent article describing the trials and tribulations of a highly qualified educator's disappointment in not finding employment with the Clark County School District could have just as easily been written about me as about Rosanne Winter.

The single greatest difference in our experiences is that Ms. Winter gave up after only six months. I've been trying for the past two years. I am a veteran teacher with more than 30 years of experience, hold Nevada certification in English and physical education, earned a doctorate in education, have excellent evaluations from administrators and students and, like Ms. Winter, seem to have fallen off the School District's radar with regard to employment.

The two most compelling similarities between Ms. Winter and me appear to be that we both worked in Florida and are both older than 50. However subtle, there seems to be a prejudice in the School District with regard to hiring qualified individuals from out of the area who just happen to qualify for AARP membership.

Local news media are constantly reporting on the educator shortage in Clark County, along with the extraordinary lengths ( distance and programmatic) that the district goes to in recruiting out-of-area prospects.

It seems the district has a fixation on recruiting first-year teachers. Is that because these teachers will cost the district less, or could it be that local administrators are reluctant to hire experienced teachers, who m they perceive as less malleable?

Should Superintendent Walt Rulffes truly desire to explore the many incongruities and inconsistencies in the School District interviewing and hiring process, or should he see the need to mentor new teachers and administrators, I gladly offer him my 30-plus years of experience. The "time limit" on my School District application expires this July, and after two years of frustration, I'm not sure it's worth the effort to renew it.

Thomas W. Fisher, Las Vegas