[StephParry]

Hi, I am a recent graduate in Special Education, and I have heard of crazy teacher incentives for teachers in Las Vegas in my area of study. I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about this...whether it would require a 5 or 10-year commitment, or exactly what the catch is. If they still need people out there....anything you can tell me would be very hepful! Thanks!

Also, how is the outdoor recreation in Las Vegas??

[tortoise]

At the disadvantage of not knowing which online research resources you have already utilized . .

Las Vegas Review Journal article . .
Clark County teacher shortage reaches 477
reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-17-Sat-2007/news/12628341.html

Clark County School District Employment Opportunities
ccsd.net/jobs/

[mikki]

The entire state of Nevada pays new employees from out of state a $2000 one time stipend. $1000 at first and the remainder after 3 months maybe? Something like that. I have heard some very bad things about CCSD. Go to this link.

http://teachers.net/states/nv/posts.html

[RedWingsFan]

There is a big teacher shortage in that area. Contact them from their website www.ccsd.net. They have info there about teaching positions.

Outdoor recreation? There's great hiking at Red Rock!

[Rachael84]

I'm in NY and plan on moving there. I'm getting my teaching degree in May, so I will be teaching there too.

There is no union there currently, but they seem to be working on it. The Association is pretty corrupt from what I hear. I've been told NOT to join it when you move. There needs to be a union out there. Hopefully there will be one by the time we move there in about 3-4 years.

Here's a link to a good Nevada teachers' message board. There's all sorts of helpful information. Lots of questions from people looking to move there also:

http://teachers.net/states/nv/

[douglasp]

I just finished a 2 year contract there. Yeah they gave me a signing bonus but in order to get half of it when I arrived, they made me join the union. Then the union took out $600 a year in dues from my paycheck. The pay is low there but there are no state taxes. Nobody has a clue what they are doing there. They hire from the Phillipines because good teachers leave in droves. On the plus side, they will hire anyone so you will probably get a job there. Another odd thing they do is that if you reject your first offer of employment where a principal calls you, then you can't get hired elsewhere. So whoever calls you first has a strange power over you. Good luck!

[radraja]

The government is willing to do anything for more teachers. If you're in the field of education, it's definitely a good time to move to Vegas.

As for recreation, my favorite outdoor activites are going to Mount Charleston and boating out on the lake. There are also lots of golf courses, tennis courts, parks, cycling teams, etc.

[PinkString]

And here's the flipside: A new teacher that just graduated from college was turned down by the district as they told her she didn't have the experience they require for teachers here. So good luck all you new teachers moving to Vegas. You will need it.

[Charles Wallace]

Originally Posted by douglasp

Another odd thing they do is that if you reject your first offer of employment where a principal calls you, then you can't get hired elsewhere. So whoever calls you first has a strange power over you. Good luck!

Yeah -- this is the equivalent of going to a dance where you HAVE to dance with the first person who asks, which basically ensures you're going to be dancing with the icky one.

The thing is, you just have to stick it out for (I think) one year at the terrible school before you can transfer, so think of it this way: no matter how terrible it is, it only has to be endured one year. In that year, you'll have time to scope out where the really good schools are.

[Chest Rockwell]

They really need to break up CCSD into at least a half dozen districts, if only to stop this blackballing of teachers who refuse a job. In any other city, you could be blackballed from a district, but then you have many other school districts in which to look for a job.