Nevada

Following latest student walkouts, thousands of teachers and their supporters hold mass rally in Las Vegas, Nevada

Published

9 months ago

October 9, 2023

Following latest student walkouts, thousands of teachers and their supporters hold mass rally in Las Vegas, Nevada

This past Saturday in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, well over a thousand teachers and their supporters rallied to demand better pay and staffing levels.

Loading Tweet …

Throughout the summer, and into the school year, southern Nevada teachers and students have held multiple demonstrations and sickouts in response to the crisis of public education in Clark County, the fifth-largest school district in the nation. Throughout September, rolling wildcat sickouts forced the closure of multiple schools throughout the district.

Since the beginning of the school year, according to the teachers’ union president, nearly 2,000 teachers out of 18,000 have left the district.

Saturday’s march and rally was held less than 24 hours after student demonstrations began at Mojave High School and Las Vegas Academy of the Arts in support of teachers. Over 50 students rallied outside Mojave High School on Friday before noon, where they remained until the end of the school day. Fox5 reported students chanted “pay our teachers.”

At the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, 100 students walked out of class at about 1 pm. Students held signs calling for pay raises for teachers and a contract. Some of the signs were homemade, while others were from the Clark County Education Association (CCEA).

The CCEA organized Saturday’s rally, which began on Fremont street, a popular tourist destination, and ended in front of the federal courthouse. Featured speakers at the rally included Democratic politicians such as Nicole Cannizzaro, the majority leader of Nevada Senate, and union bureaucrats.

Nevada Democratic Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, October 7, 2023.

Seeking to contain the growing movement of students, teachers and parents safely within the confines of bourgeois legality, CCEA President Marie Neisess announced at the end of the rally that the union is preparing to file a lawsuit challenging the 1969 law that makes it illegal for public school teachers, and all public employees, to strike in Nevada. The Nevada Independent, citing a “briefing paper on strikes from the State’s Employee-Management Relations Board,” said that the law was passed “as a way to resolve a walkout by CCSD teachers and came at the urging of Strip casino owners who felt their picketing was disrupting their businesses.”

“This is our moment to fight. This is our moment to take back what rights were taken away from us many many years ago,” Neisess told the crowd. But Neisess did not explain to teachers why it has taken over 54 years for the union to challenge this anti-worker law and none of the Democratic politicians who spoke before Neisess declared their support for overturning the law.

That the union waited to file the lawsuit well into the school year and after the union and the district had moved into the arbitration process, which can take up to a year and half, shows that the union has no real intention of striking. CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita told local news reporters that, “By the time we get a decision, this school year will be done.”

WSWS reporters spoke to teachers at the demonstration. Marie, an elementary school teacher since 2001, spoke in favor of joint strike action with the nearly 60,000 casino workers who overwhelmingly voted to strike less than two weeks ago. “I wish they would. I wish they would join in. Other unions together, that’s what unionism is…all together so we can help each other.”

On the wildcat sickouts by teachers, Marie said teachers “were taking it in their hands. They knew they couldn’t…their hands were tied, so we are trying to make a point, trying to get some attention…I don’t think it was part of the union.

“The teachers are rallying together, trying to support each other and the students are walking out,” she said. “That’s pretty neat, how social media and social justice work together.”

“I feel like with the gas prices going up, the house prices are going up, and in order for the teachers to survive…young people, that are first year and second year, they are struggling. They are having to take on second jobs.

“Now I feel like everybody is having to fight for anything.”

Andrea, a teacher for over seven years whose husband also teaches, told the WSWS that she had to replace their air conditioner, a necessity in the desert, which drained them of all their savings.

“And now we’re a little bit stressed because we don’t make enough money, and we don’t even have children of our own. It’s just my husband and I, we’re both teachers. And it’s just with inflation happening, everything’s more expensive. Our insurance went down, so they took money away from our insurance fund. So we got a ‘raise,’ but it was actually not a full raise. We’re having to pay more in medical bills. We honestly, we don’t even really go to the doctor unless we absolutely have to, because we don’t want to pay those higher premiums.

“In terms of work, we got new curriculum this year. I teach first grade, and we got a new reading program, a new phonics program. Last year, we got a new science program. The year prior, we got a new math program. We have to use these programs…but I don’t get the proper training, I didn’t get any training.

“It’s very stressful. And the program… like, we haven’t seen the research on the program and they’re taking away our autonomy as teachers… I’ve learned a lot teaching over the years, and I also did the National Board certification so I’m waiting to get my results for that, but I did that training on my own. I wanted to become a better teacher. I did it on my own money for that training, it was $2,000. I want to be a great teacher. I want to get paid well, but they’re taking away my autonomy of all these things I’ve learned over the years about the students.”

Andrea explained that she was recently sick for the last three weeks, but that she only took two days off. “I feel very guilty to take days off, because I know that they are going to have to split my class to other teachers, or the teachers are going to have to sell their prep to cover my class throughout the day. So I’m going into work sick—I think that’s why I stayed sick so long, because I only took a couple days off.”

Andrea explained that many teachers are pressured to sell their “preparation” time due to the lack of available teachers. “I get a 50 minute prep every day for my students to go to specials. PE or music or art or science. And we get that time so we can grade papers, we can plan our lessons, we can deal with the paperwork, anything you need. 50 minutes a day, which is great because again, in other districts, they didn’t get any prep at all. So this is great, but sometimes they’ll ask us to sell our prep, which will give us like for 50 minutes. We get paid $31.50, but for 50 minutes it will be less than that.”

On the question of a joint struggle with casino workers, Andrea said, “The more people that are able to get a good living wage and able to save money, not just with paycheck to paycheck, I think the more people who come together and get money, I think that will help everybody in society.

Mass rally of teachers, students and their supporters, October 7, 2023.

“Inequality, the polarization of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, the middle class dwindling for the past, what, two, three decades? I think the more people coming together to say, ‘No, we are not waiting.’”

Asked why she thought the Democrats, which have dominated Nevada state politics, have yet to repeal the anti-strike legislation, Andrea replied, “I think that the Democrats and the Republicans are basically the same…it’s just kind of Republican and Republican-light. And now Republicans are becoming like, extreme terrorists.

Andrea continued, “‘For the people, by the people,’ not for the rich, and not for the wealthy. So, I think that’s the biggest goal and I think that’s the way our society has gone, the fear that it’s ‘us against them’ instead of everybody on the bottom being together. It’s not about race…it’s about the rich trying to be happy and trying to be greedy and mentally ill.

Asked to comment on Biden resuming the construction of Trump’s anti-human border wall, Andrea said, “I’m always about the environment because that’s our bedrock, that’s our place where we come from and it’s the basis of all human life and animal life. But no, I don’t, I think [Biden] said, ‘Well I have to, the money was allocated for that.’ Well, things change, and can you work towards changing that? That money was allocated there, but maybe it can be changed to be allocated somewhere else? And let’s see what the people think. So again, let’s go back to ‘By the people, For the people,’ and see what the people want throughout our country.”

Source link

Click to comment

Nevada

HealtHIE Nevada teams with VA and DoD

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

HealtHIE Nevada, the Silver State’s health information exchange, said this week that it is working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense to make their patients’ clinical information available to service members statewide.

Since the connection went live on June 12, active-duty military members, veterans and their families can use the exchange to access labs, medications and discharge information – with HealtHIE also making electronic health record data available to VA and DoD providers.

DoD and VA are now two of more than 140 organizations across Nevada that work with HealtHIE to securely manage clinical data among physician practices, hospitals, diagnostic services and other care providers in Nevada – eliminating the need for patients to collect and transport paper records to their appointments.

THE LARGER TREND
HealtHIE Nevada points to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows more than 226,000 veterans and 13,000 active-duty military personnel in Nevada – many of whom get care in both the VA system and from non-VA community providers.

This new connection will enable providers at the VA to access clinical data from other organizations that participate in HealtHIE Nevada, such as Renown Health, Dignity Health, Saint Mary’s Medical Center, University Medical Center and others.

ON THE RECORD
“Whether on active duty, reacclimating to civilian life or years into their retirement journey, we’re honored to help our active-duty military and veterans by allowing doctors and other healthcare providers access to their medical records in a seamless and secure manner,” said Michael Gagnon, executive director of HealtHIE Nevada in a press statement.

“This new service is designed to enhance care coordination between VA, DoD and local healthcare facilities to ultimately improve patient care wherever they receive care in Nevada,” he added.

Mike Miliard is executive editor of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.

Source link

Nevada

Mudcats Lose to Nevada For the First Time This Season – KCHI Radio

Published

9 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

Mudcats Lose to Nevada For the First Time This Season – KCHI Radio

The Chillicothe Mudcats dropped a MINK League contest at home Thursday night, losing to the Nevada Griffons by a final score of 11-3.

The Griffons, who are last place in the MINK League standing, were struggling coming into the game, and pick up just their second road win of the season, and their fourth win overall.

The Griffons got their good night started early by getting on the board first, scoring two runs, one of them unearned, off of Mudcats starter Josiah Golden. A double by Luke Robinson and a single by Bryce Humphrey helped the Griffons out to a 2-0 lead.

The Mudcats would get those runs back in the third inning though, as an RBI single from Peyton Becker tied the game at two, making it the twelfth straight game where he has registered a hit as a starter. Elian Guzman scored the other run in the inning on a delayed stolen base at home.

The Mudcats would take their first and only lead of the night in the fourth as Hunter Shoulta scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2 in Chillicothe’s favor, after being hit by a pitch from Nevada’s starter, Bo Hays, at the beginning of the frame.

However, the Griffons would take full control of the game from there, as the Mudcats would not register a single hit in the rest of the game. Hays only allowed three hits in his six innings of work as a starter, and Nevada reliever Isac Elkins pitched three no-hit innings out of the bullpen for Nevada.

The Griffons offense did the damage midway through the game. They would score three runs on two hits in the fifth, two runs on three hits in the sixth, and four runs on two more hits in the seventh. The runs in those innings came off of a different Mudcats pitcher in each inning.

The Mudcats fall to 8-12 in overall play this season, but are 7-11 in the MINK League, and fifth place in the league standings. That’s good enough for the Mudcats to be in a playoff position as they hit the halfway point of the season.

The Mudcats will take the day off Friday before facing off against the Warren County Cropdusters (7-13), who are just a half game behind them in the MINK League standings, on Saturday night. 7:05 is the scheduled time for first pitch, and all the live action from that game and every other Mudcats game this summer will be live on KCHI and kchi.com

Source link

Nevada

Records Reveal How ‘Bidenbucks’ Could Affect Battleground Nevada

Published

17 hours ago

June 20, 2024

Press Room

Records Reveal How ‘Bidenbucks’ Could Affect Battleground Nevada

At least four federal agencies likely will be involved in helping to mobilize voters in Nevada, based on President Joe Biden’s executive order on elections, which some critics call “Bidenbucks.”

Through a public records request, The Daily Signal obtained copies of letters from Nevada Secretary of State Francisco V. Aguilar to federal agencies regarding implementation of Biden’s executive order.

Executive Order 14019, which Biden signed in March 2021, directs every federal agency to be active in boosting voter participation and to partner with nonprofit organizations in doing so.

Previous records obtained by The Daily Signal as well as watchdog groups show these private actors partnering with agencies or communicating with Biden White House officials on the order.

These actors include left-leaning groups such as Demos and the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center, billionaire financier George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and Fair Fight Action, founded by Stacey Abrams, who lost twice as the Democrat nominee for Georgia governor.

On Oct. 27, Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat elected as Nevada’s secretary of state in 2022, wrote top officials in the federal Labor, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs departments, as well as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a subagency in the Department of Homeland Security.

Aguilar’s request was for each federal agency to act as a voter registration agency in Nevada, which, he writes, is pursuant to Biden’s executive order.

“Your partnership in this designation will greatly benefit Nevada’s voters by distributing voter registration applications, assisting with qualified voter registrations, and ensuring completed applications are transmitted to County Clerks/Registrars,” his letter to each of the four agencies says.

Aguilar’s letter also cites Section 7 of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. The section requires that states offer voter registration opportunities at certain state and local offices, including public assistance and disability offices.

That section of the U.S. statute known as the “motor voter law” also says that “states may designate as voter-registration agencies nongovernmental offices (such as private colleges) or federal government offices,” according to the Justice Department.

In his letter to Labor Secretary Julie Su, Aguilar specifically asks the department to designate its American Job Centers. Those centers were established in 2014 to offer training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and other employment-related services.

A spokesperson for Aguilar did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment before publication time.

The White House previously announced that the Labor Department would encourage states to designate the more than 2,400 American Job Centers as voter registration locations.

A subagency at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Community Living, announced it would create a “voting access hub” to connect with older adults and those with disabilities who want to vote.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it would provide materials and assistance in both registering and voting for tens of thousands of inpatients and residents, including inpatients at VA medical centers.

“We are exploring the opportunity to become an NVRA-designated agency in Nevada,” Veterans Affairs spokesperson Susan Carter told The Daily Signal, referring to the National Voter Registration Act.

“Currently, VA only has three pilot NVRA designated agencies in the state of Michigan,” she said.

Spokespersons for the other three federal agencies involved did not immediately respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment on this report.

The House Administration Committee, which has oversight of elections, earlier subpoenaed 15 members of Biden’s Cabinet regarding the implementation of the president’s executive order.

Republicans object to Biden’s order, noting it could prompt federal employees to violate the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits partisan political activity using government time or resources, as well as the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending public money on matters not authorized by Congress.

Biden administration officials have argued that the president’s order is about promoting voter accessibility and ensuring that voting is easier for Americans.

The House Committee on Small Business has investigated the Small Business Administration’s efforts to register voters, holding a hearing June 5. In March, SBA announced a memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of State, the chief election agency for the battleground state, to facilitate voter registration efforts ahead of the election cycle this year.

Source link