Author: Michael Campbell

Great news for CCSD – 200 schools improved performance, and 80 saw a rise in their star ratings from 2023 to 2024. Context: The Nevada School Performance Framework rates schools on a 1 to 5-star system, using a 100-point index to measure performance. The big picture: We discovered a consistent recipe for success: strong teamwork, high-quality instructional materials aligned to content standards, data-driven decisions, healthy professional learning communities, and deep community engagement. To better understand why CCSD schools improved their performance, we visited two elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. By the numbers: Lee Antonello and Lomie…

Since 2012, the nonprofit EyeCare4Kids has provided free eye exams and corrective lenses to tens of thousands of CCSD students. Robert L. Taylor Elementary School. The nonprofit also has a mobile vision clinic, See-More, that travels to different Title I CCSD schools to extend its reach. This year, it visited 120 schools receiving Title I funding. The mobile vision clinic has provided eye exams to 60,000 students over a decade. EyeCare4Kids’ services include a vision screening process with an autorefractor and a traditional vision screening chart. Once that is complete, the student sees the optometrist on site for a formal vision…

Ruby Duncan Elementary School staff and students recently celebrated their namesake with a “Ruby Duncan Day,” showering Duncan with gratitude for her enduring advocacy that has had a monumental impact on Nevada. Duncan has been a leader in the fight to ensure mothers can provide their children with healthy meals. The big picture: Duncan came to national prominence during the 1970s, which included organizing a march of thousands of protestors down the Strip in 1971, bringing attention to welfare rights and the inequities Black mothers faced in receiving government assistance. Duncan later was a founder of Operation Life, which was…

Red Rock Elementary School’s students and staff experienced an extraordinary start to the new school year: They were welcomed to a new, state-of-the-art campus, replacing their outdated, 70-year-old school that was razed last year. Principal Chantae Readye acknowledged that, in previous years, teachers had to be “creative and tenacious to work around the physical limitations of our old building to deliver a quality education to our students.” Why it matters: CCSD Assistant Superintendent of Construction and Development Brandon McLaughlin said the new school’s design fosters a welcoming and supportive environment that bolsters 21st-century learning. What they’re saying: Tiffany Mata, a…

Middle and high school students are setting aside their cell phones during classroom instruction under a new policy this school year. Cellular devices of students in secondary school will be held in a non-locking, signal-blocking pouch in a safe location within classrooms and accessible in the event of an emergency. CCSD leadership is confident the change – which educators and school administrators encouraged – will create a more focused learning environment. The benefits of using a non-locking, signal-blocking pouch within the classroom, CCSD officials said, will assist students with academic learning, including minimizing distractions, promoting responsible device use, and ensuring…

During its annual New Teacher Kickoff at the M Resort earlier this month, CCSD welcomed over 1,350 new teachers for this school year – much more than anticipated. Jennifer Varrato, director of Employee Onboarding and Development, said the New Teacher Kickoff shows new educators how much they mean to CCSD. Why it matters: “We want to invest in our employees, and we want to make sure they have a strong sense of belonging within our organization and the community,” Varrato said. Retention efforts start right from the beginning and support for teachers continues during their career at CCSD, Varrato added.…