On this edition of Inside Education,
school safety.
In the wake of a tragic shooting
involving a CCSD student,
a public push to decrease the number
of weapons brought on local school campuses.
We'll take you to the announcement
as well as go one-on-one with CCSD Police
to talk more about this troubling trend.
Then a national spotlight
on school security measures.
A member of the President's Cabinet
as well as other high-ranking federal
officials visit a CCSD school.
Why they came and what they hope to learn.
Plus we have great information
on antibullying efforts and the upcoming
Week of Respect.
Also, how CCSD schools stack up
on the new star ratings, and a push to get
more girls interested in technology.
Inside Education starts right now.
"The cornerstone of education
"is getting to know a student first."
We want to make sure that we're supporting
families and students.
"I think the community should know
"that their voice counts."
Our students have all the potential
in the world.
♪♪♪
Thanks for joining us for this edition
of Inside Education.
I'm your host, Mitch Truswell.
It is not your imagination:
There have been a number of incidents recently
in which a weapon, oftentimes loaded,
was found on a school campus
in the Clark County School District.
Sadly, this month a Canyon Springs
High School student lost his life as a result
of a shooting on school grounds.
The School District says all options will be
on the table when it comes to protecting
students who attend CCSD schools.
As a result of the numerous incidents
just since the school year began,
Superintendent Jesus Jara will convene
an advisory council to recommend a list
of actions to better protect students.
(Dr. Jesus Jara) My real concern is I'm making sure
that my children, all 322,000 of them,
when they come to school,
they're free to learn in a safe environment.
The day after a shooting on the campus
of Canyon Springs High School
left one student dead and parents across
the District concerned about safety,
District and community leaders gathered
to make it clear this spike in weapons
brought on campus must change.
Nothing matters more to any of us
than our kids' safety.
Before I am a superintendent,
I am a dad, and we spend our lives
working to keep our kids safe and healthy.
Working with CCSD Police,
Superintendent Jesus Jara announced
he will create an advisory council
to come up with specific solutions
that address the incidence of weapons on-campus
and most importantly, how to stop it.
The job of this group, I want to be very clear,
is to suggest ways we can specifically
address the weapons on campus.
I will ask them to provide me
with recommendations by December 1
that I will then bring to the Trustees.
All options must be on the table.
The advisory council will include
principals, teachers, families,
students, members the faith community,
law enforcement and others.
Just weeks into the new school year,
seven weapons have been recovered
on the campuses of local high schools.
According to CCSD Police, the common
denominator in the recovered weapons,
they've been used in other crimes
or were not tracked by gun owners properly.
(Capt. Roberto Morales) We ask and recommend to responsible gun owners
that they share these measures
that they take with other new gun owners
of safeguarding their weapons
and reporting any stolen guns or ammunition
immediately to local jurisdictions.
The School District believes
one of the best ways to curb potential violence
is to encourage students and parents
to report anything of interest through
the SaveVoice reporting system.
The District has taken many steps to publicize
the program including school visits like this
at Becker Middle School to help students
understand the importance of
"when you see something, say something."
(Carolyn Edwards) Each one of these is investigated.
Some turn out to be totally unsubstantiated,
others lead to arrests.
Others, most importantly,
lead to providing resources to kids
and families who need help.
Here's one way you can help police
and school staff keep students safe at school.
You may want to keep information
for SaveVoice nearby.
This is an anonymous way to report any kind
of information that school staff
and/or police should have.
There are a number of ways to get in touch.
You can call SaveVoice at 1.833.216.7233.
You can also report information online
at SaveVoiceNV.org
or download the SaveVoice app.
We want to dive a little deeper
into this topic of weapons on campus.
Joining me now is acting captain Roberto Morales
of the CCSD Police Department.
Welcome, thank you for being here.
-Thank you for having me.
-It was mentioned at the news conference
that there have been seven incidents
since school began of a weapon
being confiscated at school.
That compares to 18 confiscated weapons
in all of last year.
So not quite at half, but clearly a trend.
Is there something you attribute
this increase to?
It seems like a lot in a short few weeks.
What do you attribute this increase to?
(Roberto Morales) Well, when you sit back and you think
about the possibilities,
the possibilities that come to mind
are was there an increase
in home invasions or burglaries?
Who is selling these weapons,
how are these juveniles getting them?
What's the trend across the country?
Is it glamorization of firearms?
It's going on everywhere, and that's what
we look at and start trying
to identify local issues or concerns.
-So you kind of answered a little bit.
We had talked at the news conference
about where are they getting these weapons,
and you say in some cases they're stolen;
in some cases it's a home invasion,
not necessarily getting access
to their parents' guns is what I heard.
-Not necessarily, but we've had incidents
where it's not just their parents
but it could be a grandpa, an uncle,
a close friend of the family,
somewhere they feel comfortable
and they've been exploring,
and they found out there's a weapon
they can gain access to.
-What's the thinking, since you deal
with this on a semi-frequent basis,
why students feel like they have
to bring a gun to school?
I'm thinking self-protection,
but that may not be it.
-That's a good question, Mitch.
Self-protection could be a possibility.
Fear, lack of skills on how to talk themselves
out of a volatile situation,
a confrontational situation.
Not wanting to have a conversation
or not knowing who to go to
to know how to defuse a situation,
and maybe they're just wanting attention,
the negative kind.
-If it's for self-protection though,
do students not feel confident in telling
the principal, telling a teacher,
the police department or CCSD Police?
Is that the fear, they don't think
they're going to be taken seriously?
-I think that would be minimal
because the majority of our students
feel very comfortable with their relationships
with our administrators
and our campus police officers.
They know we're there to help them,
to support them, as most of our titles
are "support staff," to help them through
their day and their learning environment.
I think the majority of our students
do feel they're supported and we're there
to help them through these situations.
-I know there's an advisory council
in the works to come up with solutions to this,
and one of those, I know the District already uses
metal detectors on some occasions.
Tell me about that, and is that
part of the answer?
-First we'll address the first part
of your question which is yes, we do use them.
We use them for football games,
basketball games and other athletic events.
-Special events.
-Yes, special events that constitute
a large amount of people
going into a small area.
Is it the solution?
I think it's a consideration
in the solution process and in the variables
that ultimately will be determined
by the committee that you just mentioned
for whatever specific reason they feel
it's necessary to, but I think we need
to focus on what we already have.
We have our administrators,
we have our students, our police officers
and other adults that are vigilant.
Again in the seven cases you've mentioned already,
it's involved student vigilance,
staff vigilance and communication
and action taken.
-So maybe part of the solution,
but it's not THE solution.
-I would say it's not THE solution.
-Acting Captain Roberto Morales,
we appreciate your time today.
-Thank you.
-The topic of school security is being
discussed at school districts all over
the country and by government officials.
The Secretary of Homeland Security
and members of the Federal Commission
on School Safety were in Las Vegas
to tour a CCSD school
and talk about school security.
Inside Education's Kathy Topp
was one of the journalists invited
to cover that tour.
Kathy, what was the purpose of the visit?
(Kathy Topp) Mitch, the commission wants to learn
how physical security measures in schools
are keeping or can keep students safe.
The goal of course is to determine ways
to improve security across the board.
CCSD's Miley Achievement Center
is one of several school safety field visits
for the federal commission that also includes
high-ranking officials
from the Department of Education,
the Department of Justice
as well as the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
After the tour, the group held
a discussion with local law enforcement,
school officials and others to discuss
best practices when it comes
to school security as well as concerns.
"We're looking for best practices,
"for ideas, for ways to ensure
"that what we have seen over this past year
"in tragic events throughout the country
"does not happen again."
Miley Achievement Center, by the way,
was recently awarded a grant
from ASIS International to increase building
security measures as part of the company's
2018 Security Cares program.
Mitch, back to you.
-Kathy, thank you.
Nevada's Week of Respect is quickly approaching.
Governor Sandoval proclaimed
October 1st through 5th as the Week of Respect.
The one-week launch is a year-long effort
to prevent bullying and encourage
respectful learning environments.
CCSD's theme is "Be an Upstander"
and will culminate with the "Get Your Blue On"
campaign where students, staff
and the community are encouraged to wear blue.
Joining me now to talk more about local
antibullying efforts is Katrina Sandigo,
education director of the Anti-Defamation
League Nevada, and also Sam Schaul,
the Anti-Defamation League's regional board chair.
Welcome to both of you. (both) Thank you.
-I know you're doing important work.
Let's start out with some of the basics
for those watching.
Tell us a little about what is considered
bullying behavior.
(Katrina Sandigo) Bullying behavior is described
by the Anti-Defamation League as something
that has happened consistently over time
that is a behavior that is taunting,
teasing or harassing another person.
Whether that be online or in person
is irrelevant.
That behavior can happen at any time,
and given today's cyber lifestyle
that we all live, it's 24/7.
-And that makes it particularly different
from years past with that social media concept,
right? -Absolutely.
We see students today constantly having
to deal with cyberbullying at home,
and then they go to school
and they're getting it in person.
-What can be done about this?
What does the ADL do to work on that?
-The ADL does a variety of things.
One of our programs we do in Clark County
is called "No Place for Hate."
That is an antibullying program that we do
at schools with site coordinators
where teachers or a counselor help
to orchestrate at the school.
We also offer teacher trainings,
student trainings, and we work directly
with parents as well on a case-by-case basis
to help create solutions at the school level
or other locations where bullying can occur.
So create solutions to help in the bullying
or bring education and awareness.
That's where we really like to focus our efforts
mostly is bringing education into the mix
of how to correct the bullying issue.
-Okay. Sam, we should probably step back
and help people understand a little
about the Anti-Defamation League
and how it started, so tell me about that.
(Sam Schaul) The Anti-Defamation League started
in 1913 in the states.
It was formed to fight anti-Semitism,
and over the years it has certainly
fought that battle, but it has also learned
that in order to fight anti-Semitism,
you have to fight anti-hate, anti-bias,
all of these discriminatory actions
that take place to everyone at some
point in time, make them aware of it
and how to deal with it.
-You have chapters in every state?
-We have 30 chapters.
-Yes, we have over two dozen chapters
across the country and an office in Israel.
Our national headquarters is located
in New York and we are able
to fight anti-Semitism in all 50 states.
-We also have an office in Silicon Valley,
that's recent, and this is to fight cyberbullying,
et cetera. -That's important.
-It's a very active office.
-When we talk about antibullying,
I know most of us are thinking about students,
but you also take this to teachers.
You have an antibullying training for teachers.
Tell me about that.
There's two purposes there, right?
-Yes, there are absolutely two purposes.
As a classroom teacher, you need to be able
to not only look out for your students
but be aware also of what you can do
for your students.
One of the things our training focuses on
is looking at your internal implicit bias.
Everyone has bias, but we also can overcome that
through education, through learning more
about different cultures and through
exposing ourselves to other things.
We also want to give teachers
and administrators in schools an action plan.
So typically our trainings start
with looking at our own biases
and then creating an action plan for the school.
We take about 40 teachers at a school,
work with them in small group settings
for the day and then create a plan to help,
like what can we do, even if it's small steps.
What can we do to make this campus
a safer, more respectful learning environment
for all of our students, and how can I be a better
teacher for my students when maybe
I don't look the same
or maybe I didn't come from the same background.
-And that's something you mentioned.
You're a former school teacher yourself,
so you know a little bit about that as well.
Before we go, I want to talk about
the Imagine a World Without Hate contest.
While you talk about it, we're going to show
some of the great artwork.
What was the purpose behind this contest?
-The Imagine a World Without Hate
art contest is actually a program
sponsored by Barrick Gold, one of our donors,
and it is designed to have local
Clark County students create artwork
that showcases what they think
a world without hate would look like.
We've had entries for the last several years
that showcase a variety of different things,
but this year's contest winners showcase
some beautiful artwork of students
of all different backgrounds working
and living together at school
and being friendly with one another.
Then one of our art contest winners
also showcases how our differences
make us stronger.
Everyone's differences bring us together.
It's not about being the same
just to be the same but that my differences
and our differences make our community greater
and our schools greater.
-Before we go, we'll put this up on the screen,
but how do people get in touch with you
if they would like to find out more
about the ADL and some of the programs?
What's the best way to do that?
-We have a website, it's LasVegas.ADL.org,
and we also have a phone number,
702.862.8600,
but the best thing is that we are a resource
for the community.
If you call us and you're having an issue
with your child's school with bullying
or another related issue, we advocate directly
to the school on their behalf.
We regularly work with schools,
and we have lots of relationships
with schools across the county and the state,
and we help to create solutions together,
bring everyone together, and create a more
positive environment for students
so they want to be at school every day
and get a great education.
-Wonderful. Katrina and Sam, we appreciate
your time today. (both) Thank you.
Despite a more rigorous rating system,
several CCSD elementary, middle and high schools
increased their ranking in the 2018 Nevada
School Performance Framework.
This is the ranking that provides the star rating
for each school that a lot of you
are familiar with.
The District announced the 2018 ratings
at Addeliar Guy Elementary School
in North Las Vegas which went from
a two-star school last year
to a four-star school under the new ratings.
Principal Wendy Garrett says achieving
the four-star rating was a group effort.
(Wendy Garrett) We are so very proud of all our students, staff
and our amazing community for their commitment
to our belief that all students--
it doesn't matter who they are--
can and will achieve as a result
of high expectations.
Onward and upward, Guy!
Here's a look at how the District performed
under the more rigorous rankings:
A total of 94 CCSD schools
ranked as a four or five-star school;
38 elementary schools increased their star rating
while 79 elementary schools went down.
In middle schools, six increased their rating
while 21 schools decreased.
For high schools, 13 schools achieved
a five-star rating, 10 achieved four stars,
19 high schools received three stars,
10 schools received two stars
and five schools received a one-star rating.
District officials say the Nevada
School Performance Framework
had become more challenging because
every student subgroup must now
show improvements year over year.
The framework assigns points to measure
levels of achievement, growth, English
language proficiency and school climate
to come up with that star rating.
If you would like to know more about your school's
star rating, you can go to
NevadaReportCard.com.
Meanwhile, the Superintendent
has been busy connecting with the community
as part of his listening tour.
Here are some photos from the CCSD
social media accounts.
Superintendent Jara has been visiting
local coffee and smoothie shops
as part of what's being called
"Juice with Jara" and "Java with Jara."
As part of his listening tour,
Dr. Jara hopes to visit at least 100 schools
and hold 100 meetings with community members
by the end of the month.
The Nevada State Board of Education
approved a regulation change to require
computer science be included in the computer
education and technology course
needed for high school graduation.
The half-credit graduation requirement
includes a name change from "Use of Computers"
to "Computer Education and Technology."
The subject area must include at least
50% instruction in computer science.
There is an increased focus on computer
science and technology, especially when
it comes to getting girls involved
in STEM-related careers.
Snehal Bhakta with CCSD's Career
and Technical Education, College, Career
and Equity Unit joins us now
to talk about girls in tech.
Welcome back. -Thank you.
-We've talked about this issue
and for many years we've had you on here,
and I know you're increasingly getting
more female students involved every year.
But let's go back and talk about
the reasons why we need to encourage
female students to look at these STEM careers,
computer technology, because they don't always
feel comfortable going there because
it's so male dominated even in the classrooms.
Why is it important to change that mindset?
(Snehal Bhakta) We continue to see in the workforce
increases in females pursuing careers
in technology but still they're small strides.
So I think the heart of the matter
is really encouraging and providing
those opportunities to young women
that these are careers, these are opportunities
in technology and STEM that they can pursue
so we can close that workforce gap.
There's a number of statistics saying
we're going to have so many jobs available
in Nevada on the technology side
and we can't continue to ignore
half of the population, the female population.
We need to educate them more
and provide more opportunities
so they understand these are jobs
and opportunities they can get.
-And I'm able to do it; I can get involved.
Even though I may not see a lot of other
female students in the classroom,
this is obviously a career
they can take advantage of.
Tell me how you're doing.
You've been working at it for a couple years now.
Do you feel like you're changing
that mindset that some students may have?
-Yes, I really feel we're making an impact.
This is going on our third year
that we're offering the opportunity
to recognize high school female students
with our Aspirations Award as well as we recognize
collegiate girls and educators.
However, one thing that we found
is our application pool isn't as large
as we'd hoped, and I think one thing
that data and research shows
is we need to start earlier than high school,
and that's why we're looking at a middle school
recognition event this year.
-And that's actually new,
the middle school program is new.
You've had the high school program,
but why the change,
you gotta get these students earlier?
-I think the data and the research shows
that young women don't have enough
encouragement and opportunity,
and it starts in middle school.
Not enough parents, teachers,
community folks and neighbors
are encouraging these young women
as they are compared to male students
to pursue those types of careers.
So we're going to be the first school district
to pilot a middle school recognition event.
Any teacher, parent, community person
or neighbor can nominate a middle school female
student for this award starting in December.
-Okay. So we've got two recognition events
we're going to talk about.
The middle school recognition is for anybody
that may have an interest,
that is doing great things in technology
and may want to be recognized for that,
and that's by December.
You can start nominating in December,
so how do you make that nomination?
-We will have a website, otherwise you can email me
and we'll have a form that we'll be pushing out
where anyone can go on the form
and nominate a student.
Really any middle school girl that's interested
in technology, they don't even
have to be taking a technology class.
What we're going to have them do
after we get a nomination from them,
we're going to have them submit a short video
answering two or three questions like
what problem could you solve using technology,
and then based upon those responses,
we'll select a high number of middle school girls
to recognize at our spring awards event.
-Let's talk about the high school recognition.
What do we need to know?
-We're in the third year of our high school
recognition, so the past two years we've recognized
almost 40 young women in high school.
The application is open and they can go to
Aspirations.org.
Any high school female student,
grades 9, 10, 11 or 12,
can apply for that award.
We have a number of community partners.
Last year we were able to offer a grant
they could use for college tuition, certification,
books, technology, whatever they wanted.
We had a ton of companies donate
a lot of cool tech swag, and it was really
a tremendous opportunity.
-We also want to let folks know
that if you do not have something
in your child's school specifically about
girls in tech, they can email you
and find out more information
about some of the other events that are available
and how to start something more
in their particular school.
-Right. They can definitely email me
or they can contact the Career and Technical
Education Department of CCSD'S
College, Career and Equity Division
and we'll be glad to get back with them.
We eventually want to touch every single
high school and middle school in Clark County.
-Wonderful. Snehal Bhakta,
we appreciate your time.
-All right. Thank you, Mitch.
-Before we go, we want to let you know
about a special workshop being held
later this month by Clark County,
the Nevada chapter
of the American Academy of Pediatrics
and the Las Vegas Strong Resiliency Center.
The anniversary of One October is nearing
and that can sometimes trigger people,
even children, to relive
or re-experience trauma or loss.
The workshop is being held twice,
on Thursday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to noon
at the Clark County Government Center
Commission Chambers,
and again from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
at New York Life's office
at 6325 South Rainbow, Suite 400.
Attendees can learn ways to help children
cope with any feelings that may come up.
Space is limited, but know that
one of the workshops will also be recorded
and rebroadcast on Clark County television
and Clark County's YouTube page.
Important information we wanted to pass along.
That is it for this edition
of Inside Education.
A reminder you can watch this broadcast
and previous broadcasts on the Vegas PBS
website or YouTube page.
On behalf of all of us here at Inside Education,
we thank you so much for watching
and we'll see you in two weeks.
♪♪♪
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