‘Average schools’ start pilot program

By Emily Richmond

Monday, April 10, 2006 | 7:04 a.m.

Like the rest of the staff at four elementary schools chosen for a new Clark County School District pilot program, principals will have to reapply for their own jobs if they hope to return to the campus in August.

But Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes said the change of command is by no means a demotion. If not selected to continue at their current schools the principals will be placed appropriately at other campuses, Rulffes said.

"We're looking for average schools - not the student bodies that are at the high end, nor are we looking for the campuses that are really struggling," said Lauren Kohut-Rost, acting chief academic officer for the district.

"Too often we forget about the schools in the middle. Now we're saying, 'If we're able to give you additional resources and let you make additional decisions and rehire every person working that building, what can you achieve?' "

Kirk Adams, Lee Antonello, Paul Culley and Rose Warren elementary campuses are the newly christened "Empowerment Schools" and will operate for the 2006-07 academic year with more input from site personnel and less involvement by the district's central office.

The schools were chosen not because of inadequate job performance by the principals or teachers but because the campuses represent "the middle," Kohut-Rost said.

District administrators have until Friday to submit their resumes for consideration. The original deadline had been April 7 but was extended in light of the slew of paperwork and time commitments principals were already facing leading up to spring break.

So far five principals have voiced their interest.

After a 90-minute forum during which the Clark County School Board asked community and business leaders for their thoughts on how the district could improve student performance, Kohut-Rost suggested a slight shift in vocabulary.

Community forums, open houses and town halls often focus on how to boost "parental involvement," Kohut-Rost said. Given the 24-hour nature of Las Vegas and a district in which many students come from families with both parents working, "parental commitment" might be a better choice of words, Kohut-Rost said.

"Parental involvement suggests the parent has to physically be at the school and in the classroom, and for some parents that's just not possible," Kohut-Rost said.

She also had a suggestion if the Council for a Better Nevada and its newly formed working group known as CARE wants to help.

If the county's larger employers, including the hospitality and gaming industries, could install computer terminals in employee breakrooms, the district would link its networks to the terminals, allowing working parents to log on and check daily attendance reports, review homework assignments and even send messages to teachers.

Maureen Peckman, executive director of the Council for a Better Nevada and CARE, said the idea had merit and she would bring it back to the membership for consideration.

Call it a dynasty in the making.

Cimarron-Memorial High School's robotics team took top honors for the second consecutive year at a regional robotics competition held at the Thomas & Mack Center. Founded in 1989 by NASA, the annual competition is sponsored by a coalition of public and private sector agencies. The program promotes teamwork along with technology, with schools divided into three-team "alliances" on the day of competition. Cimarron-Memorial shares its title with Northern California's Palo Alto High School and New Jersey's North Brunswick High School. The winning alliance advances to Atlanta's Georgia Dome April 27-29.