Survey: Teachers considering business boycotts

By Emily Richmond

Friday, May 23, 2003 | 10:20 a.m.

Fewer than half of Clark County School District teachers who took part in a recent survey said they were willing to strike in order to protest the education funding crisis in Nevada, officials from the teachers' union said Thursday.

The Clark County Education Association, which represents the majority of the School District's 15,000 teachers, received 4,500 responses to a survey asking members how far they were willing to go. It is currently illegal for teachers in Nevada to strike.

More than 90 percent of the respondents said they and their families were willing to boycott specific businesses that stood in the way of raising the level of education funding for public schools, said John Jasonek, executive director of the association.

No specific businesses or organizations were named in the survey as potential targets of a boycott, Jasonek said.

"There are obviously some folks who have their own interests in the forefront, and aren't interested in what's best for our children," Jasonek said. "Our members have made it clear that they would consider a boycott one of the options if it got to that point. Obviously we hope none of these things have to be put in place."

Superintendent Carlos Garcia said boycotts would likely be a costly mistake that would ultimately hurt teachers and the cause of education. Many individual schools have built relationships with the communities they serve, and rely on area businesses for everything from classroom supplies to grants and scholarship funds, Garcia said.

"I understand (the teachers') frustration, but boycotts are not the solution," Garcia said. "The solution is to work hand-in-hand with the community to address the problems."

The majority of teachers also said they would be wiling to picket high-profile corporations, Jasonek said. The union has already taken part in several public demonstrations, as well as an aggressive campaign contacting legislators via e-mail and postcards.

"I think this demonstrates what we already knew," said Mary Ella Holloway, president of the teachers' union, in a written statement. "Teachers in Clark County are very dedicated to the children they teach but are willing to do everything legally possible to hold legislators accountable for the welfare of education in Nevada."

Clark County School Board member Ruth Johnson questioned the timing of the union's survey, given that the last week has brought hopeful news from Carson City as to what the final K-12 budget will be.

Boycotts can be a powerful tool when used appropriately, Johnson said.