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Jul. 15, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Critic: 'Cozy' ties may bring job

Former president of teachers union seeks post she helped form

By JAMES HAUG
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The former president of the teachers' union is applying for a Clark County School District job that she helped create, fueling one critic who says that top union officials are "in cozy collusion" with district administrators so they can get well-paid, non-classroom positions once their leadership terms expire.

Ron Taylor, a middle school teacher and longtime critic of the Clark County Education Association, said the union has lost sight of its adversarial role of challenging administration and advocating for teachers.

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"If we're going to have a teachers' union, let's act like one," Taylor said. "Let's not act like we're in the back pocket of the district administration."

Mary Ella Holloway, former president of the Clark County Education Association, denied Taylor's allegations that the union has been compromised through close ties to district administrators.

"We're out there fighting every day for the teachers," Holloway said.

Holloway also noted that federal mediators have advised the union that it does not have to be hostile to be effective and that much can be accomplished through collaboration. One such attempt at collaboration is the Teaching and Learning Conditions Committee, which works to improve morale at troubled schools with high staff turnover.

The school district hires and pays the staff on the four-member committee. The committee works for the district under terms negotiated through collective bargaining.

Holloway is one of 19 applicants for two openings on the committee. She said she is no different than any other job candidate.

"I'm no longer a public figure," said Holloway, who said she has up-to-date teaching credentials. "Why can't I apply for a job like everybody else? I'm highly qualified."

Holloway said she is proud of the committee, which she said has become a model for other school districts and has been recognized nationally by education groups.

"I was on the bargaining team that helped create the committee," said Holloway, who stepped down this month as president of the Clark County Education Association after seven years in office.

"I believe in it, I've seen what it's done over the last two years," said Holloway, who also has about 30 years of teaching experience.

The committee will begin its third year in the fall. In the last collective bargaining agreement between the association and the district, funding for the four-member committee was boosted from $100,000 to $150,000 a year. Union officials said the money goes toward committee operations and not committee salaries and benefits.

Pointing to a clause in the labor contract, Taylor also said it was "absurd" that the committee agreed with the district to never use its information for the purposes of "embarrassing, discrediting or otherwise undermining the legitimate functions" of a school or staff.

Taylor said the union is effectively giving up a "gold mine" since it could use the information to file grievances and take legal actions against "renegade principals."

Taylor is a school board candidate for District B and a longtime critic of the Clark County Education Association. He once tried to recruit teachers away from the association and to the Teamsters union.

Taylor said he also has sued the Clark County Education Association for trying to kick him out of the union. He said he expects a court decision in the matter this month.

Holloway agreed that one of the top reasons why there is high teacher turnover at some schools is problems with school administrators.

She said the Teaching and Learning Conditions Committee is a step toward improving morale. It's very responsive to teachers and it collects workplace feedback from surveys and focus groups.

Committee staff are paid according to the teachers' pay scale. The job requires a minimum of three years of teaching experience. The pay range would be somewhere between $40,000 and $70,000 annually.

"This is not an administrative job," said Karyn Wright, the director of K-12 teacher development for the district.

Although Wright said she could not comment on personnel matters, she said she was not under "any pressure" to hire Holloway. Hiring is expected to be concluded by the end of the month.

While the district is struggling to fill about 800 teaching positions during a time of state funding reductions, Holloway said the work of the committee is more than justified since it will reduce turnover.

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-799-2922.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: I Care wrote on July 15, 2008 09:58 PM: When will the community begin to care about its schools-- and refuse to accept this kind of abuse of power? Read between the lines--play power games and you will be well-compensated. If you care about our students and teachers-- stand up and open your mouth. Demand better for our schools. Tipper wrote on July 15, 2008 09:29 PM: Get rid of the survey committee. We don't need it. The money spent on that frivolous activity could, and should be spent on teachers. If MEH really wants to help, I'm sure the district could find a classroom full of kids for her to teach. Robin wrote on July 15, 2008 08:18 PM: It doesn't take 4 people and $150,000 per year to put up 1 survey each school year. Get a teacher with computer skills to put up the survey for free. Have some parent volunteers tally the results and save the taxpayers some money. See my survey that costs me $6.99 per year to put up. http://uktlv.org J Rod wrote on July 15, 2008 05:11 PM: Harry Ried is most likely responsible for this. I blame the Democrats Michael wrote on July 15, 2008 01:48 PM: This conflict of interest should not be allowed. Too transparent. When Ms. Holloway was in charge of CCEA, she rewrote the bylaws to allow herself more time in office, then rewrote them back to the original term limits. Shame on her, and shame on whomever gives her this new job. Steve wrote on July 15, 2008 12:51 PM: "...19 applicants for two openings..." You can bet your last dollar that Holloway will get one of these 2 openings even if 18 people are more qualified. She will also start at the $70,000 salary. Ken wrote on July 15, 2008 12:40 PM: Holloway is the very WORST choice for this job... and because she is the VERY WORST choice, she will ultimately get the job. Teachers deserve better representation and under this woman's regime teachers are in WORST shape than they have ever been. Board Trustees -- DO NOT ALLOW THIS PERSON IN THIS POSITION. If you want to repay her for her services to teachers and CCSD, give her some free movie tickets -- that's all she's worth -- if that. CCSD and CCEA have been partners in crime for too many years. This has to stop. And this phony baloney job will only prove that CCEA is in the back pocket of CCSD. tim wrote on July 15, 2008 12:33 PM: reason 6,239 as to why taxpayers are sick of the education establishment.she invents the committee,then gets the first opening.i'll bet with six digit pay,full benefits,plus perks.sick,sick,sick. teacher wrote on July 15, 2008 11:52 AM: Despite the rantings of T Mitchell about a "powerful teachers' union," the CCEA - an ineffectual and. as we see here, corrupt organization - is one of the many things that drive good, smart teachers OUT of the CCSD. All you readers who've been believing the nonsense in the editorials need to know this. People who come from places with real unions are shocked, and soon leave, if they can. This district gets stuck with many teachers who are stuck here themselves, for a variety of reasons. Because there's a monopoly, too many administrators are allowed to harass teachers. Many of us, with college degrees, professional skills, and working under a lot of stress, well over 40 hours a week, are not making it financially. But our union is too busy making job deals like this to represent us effectively. The public needs to be aware that the lack of representation is one of the reasons good teachers leave. CCEA motto: Driving good teachers out of Las Vegas in the new millennium. cozy ties wrote on July 15, 2008 07:30 AM: The Nevada Way. Just look around.