Every day CCSD schools depend on Substitute Teachers to fill hundreds of classroom vacancies.  CCSD could not function without the commitment of these devoted individuals. Even when working full-time, CCSD Substitute Teachers are not eligible for health insurance, paid time off, or unemployment benefits.  They have been fighting for years to obtain these basic benefits that all other full-time workers in America receive.  To make matters worse, in the midst of the crisis surrounding Covid-19, and the closure of schools around the country, CCSD has made the decision to not pay Substitute Teachers during the closure, leaving many individuals without any source of income for the next month and possibly beyond.  Please support CCSD Substitute Teachers by signing this petition to ask that Governor Stephen F. Sisolak, CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara and the CCSD Board of Trustees take care of these valuable employees during this national crisis.

For decades, teachers across America have been fighting for higher pay and better benefits.  With union backing, some progress (albeit not enough) has been achieved.  CCSD Substitute Teachers are not eligible to join the union, and have therefore gone without pay increases for nearly 20-years.  Many people do not know that licensed teachers receive additional pay for covering open classrooms during their “prep-periods,” which comes at a huge cost to the district.  Therefore, by filling approximately 700 vacancies across Clark County, substitute teachers save CCSD more than $45-million annually!  The importance of this issue extends far beyond that of just Substitute Teachers - this is an issue that affects every single member of CCSD and every taxpayer in Nevada. 

Substitute Teachers are more than just warm bodies filling classrooms.  Substitute Teachers are required to have at least 2-years of college education, dozens of hours of training in classroom management and CCSD policy, additional annual education, and a license issued by the Nevada Department of Education.  Many subs fill vacancies for an entire year, thereby taking on all the responsibilities of a tenured teacher including lesson plans, grading, parent communication, IEP and 504 meetings, and all aspects of student care and classroom management.  They are no different to the students than another teacher, yet they are paid far less, do not receive health insurance, time off, or any other benefits.  Although fully licensed teachers and administration will all be paid during this closure, substitutes will not be paid, yet they will be expected to return to work and complete the year once the schools reopen (including filling in all the gaps and managing the issues that will certainly arise from this crisis).  

Whether Substitute Teachers work 5-days per week, or 1-day per week, they depend on their income.  Substitutes are labeled as “on call” employees and are ineligible to claim unemployment benefits, therefore will likely not be protected by the new bill signed in Congress that strengthens unemployment benefits and protects millions of other Americans.   Please sign this petition and ask CCSD to support Substitute Teachers by paying them during this closure.  Additionally, please follow the link below and sign the petition asking CCSD to acknowledge the work that substitutes do on a daily basis and provide them with a livable wage and access to health insurance.

Thank you for your support and if you have any questions or simply would like to offer support, feel free to contact the Steering Committee at SouthernNVSubstituteCommittee@gmail.com

Petition demanding Higher Pay for Substitute Teachers:

https://www.change.org/p/superintendent-jesus-jara-give-substitute-teachers-at-ccsd-health-insurance-and-the-raise-they-deserve?fbclid=IwAR11NBcEWDV9rv3ZGBysO5ZJaOHPNdY4tR7B9_SldMYPc1xPpuSxGAuSHz4