Teacher Appreciation Week lands as pink slips are being written

By Paul Takahashi

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 | 7:44 p.m.

Clark County School District officials have planned spa treatments, show tickets and luncheons to celebrate teachers as part of national Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11.

On Monday, culinary students at Southwest Career and Technical Academy surprised their teachers with a three-course lunch. Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight Jones and other top school officials covered lunchroom and classroom duties so teachers could have their meal.

On Tuesday, five cast members from "Le Reve – The Dream" surprised several Chaparral High School teachers and more than 100 students with show tickets. The cast from the Wynn Las Vegas production shared stories of inspiring teachers and answered questions from students.

On Wednesday, Hash House a Go Go Chef Anthony Vidal will cook up lunch for teachers at a North Las Vegas elementary school.

On Thursday, an entire elementary school staff will be surprised with tickets to the Blue Man Group. During the School Board meeting that night, board members will honor the new Teacher of the Year.

On Friday, one special education teacher will be surprised with a spa package and resort stay, courtesy of Station Casinos.

Teacher Appreciation Week comes just one week before the Clark County School Board votes on its final budget for the upcoming school year, which district officials say won’t be balanced without teacher layoffs.

The School District announced last week it has been forced to lay off an undetermined number of teachers after an arbitrator sided with the local teachers union on pay raises.

The district has threatened in the past that more than 1,000 teacher jobs may be cut if the teachers union prevailed in arbitration. Pink slips are expected to be sent out between May 16 and the end of the month.