September 9th, 2026

President’s and Superintendent’s Report 

President’s Report

• President Dockweiler recognized and thanked Lisa Ford as she is going into retirement. 
• The board all thanked Ford for her endless guidance and support.

Superintendent’s Report 

• Superintendent Wakefield began the report by recognizing the start of the school year.
• It is reminded that the NASB annual conference is coming up 

Wakefield focuses on two updates throughout his report 

1. Executive order 26-03 

This order is to support a clear and consistent regulatory landscape. 

• Agency Alignment

Wakefield breaks down three divisions: 

• Teaching and learning decision

Defines the vision of the student experience. 

• Implementation division 

Builds the conditions needed for the vision.

• Finance division

Stewards funding so the work is funded and sustained.

• Tom Greene introduces himself as he will be taking Lisa Ford’s place. 
• Superintendent Wakefield announces Sophia Blair as she is the History Teacher of the Year! 

You can find more information about the Superintendent’s Report HERE.

Outcome

No formal action was taken during this portion of the meeting.

Appointment of Nevada Representatives to the WestEd Board 

Context

One of the tasks for the Board of Education is to appoint representatives to the WestEd Board. There are currently 3 vacant positions, 2 representing the Nevada Board of Education and 1 representing Nevada School Districts. In terms of the two positions Julie Bowers and Christy McGill were nominated by the board. For the School District position Tate Else was nominated. 

Board Discussion

• Superintendent Wakefield clarifies the nominees.

Outcome

A motion was made to appoint Julie Bowers and Christy McGill to represent the Nevada Board of Education and Tate Else to represent the School District to serve on the WestEd Board. This motion passes. 

Julie Bowers and Christy McGill represent the Nevada Board of Education and Tate Else represents the School District. 

Update on the Clark County School District’s Teacher Vacancy Status Following the Start of the 2026-2027 School Year 

Context

This discussion is about filling the School District’s Teacher Vacancy and specifically focusing on four points in which are:

1. Filling licensed Vacancies 
2. Substitute teachers and other temporary arrangements 
3. Qualified permanent candidates 
4. Surplusing, staffing allocations, and class size  

Within the presentation an update is shared to see where we are now in terms of vacancies. There have been 348 less first day of school vacancies, 163 less licensed special education vacancies, and a 98% fill rate for the 2026-2027 school year. 

When positions must be eliminated due to allocation changes, schools must identify impacted employees based on position assignment and seniority to participate in the surplus process. 

There are three phases of surplusing:

• Surplus Trigger

This is when a school determines that a specific position must be eliminated due to unexpected budget changes. 

1. Spring Surplus 

This is driven by upcoming enrollment projections. Teams during this time can essentially forecast staffing levels, and see what needs to be done. If they feel a reduction is needed, a reduction will happen. 

• Fall Surplus 

This is after the official count day, and enrollment numbers are finalized. During this time, if they once again feel a reduction is needed, a reduction will happen. 

You can find more information about the CCSDs Teacher Vacancy Status HERE. 

Board Discussion

• Member Braxton shouts out that HBCU Connect is being used and that there are diverse ways to look at a broad audience. Braxton also brings up the concern of the timeline and the unsettled time period where the person doesn’t know if they have a job or not.
• Braxton asks what resources there are to help teachers during this period. The presenters explained that affected teachers would have appointment time slots to make their resume, headshots, and walk through the timeline of surplusing. 240 appointments were booked between 2–3 months.
• Member Braxton brings up the CTE component, where there’s teaching offered to students. This was answered by the explanation that there were meetings for Seniors in the teaching and learning class.
• Member Dawson asks about the amount of special education vacancies in CCSD. There are 161 vacancies, but there is no true vacancy number for Special Education.
• Member Ford asked to look into more details between the schools and what specific schools are doing to retain such teachers. Ford also brings up the concern of teachers moving to different positions within the schools.

Legislation Highlight

Under Article 35- (A): Shifts are triggered by declining enrollment, school closures, or revised allocation formulas. Prior to finalizing any involuntary move, principals are required to hold a staff meeting to seek qualified volunteers.

NRS 288.151 and Article 30: RIF process is governed by Nevada Statutes which take precedence over agreements. 

Outcome

No formal action was taken during this portion of the meeting.

Why it Matters

Teacher vacancies directly affect schools’ ability to provide students with qualified teachers. The update shows progress in filling positions, but it also highlights ongoing challenges with special education vacancies, teacher retention, and staffing changes. Understanding these issues helps show how teacher staffing decisions can affect students, teachers, and schools across Clark County.

Update on the Revision of the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP) and Appointment of State Board Member Representative 

Context

The presentation focuses on updating the board on the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP) which will articulate yearly goals, clear strategies, refined targets and a clear five year roadmap.  During this time, the board will consider appointing one of its members to serve as a liaison during the revision process. 

Five Strategic priorities are introduced: 

1. Strong Foundations

This priority focuses on long term success in terms of Pre-K access, grade 3 ELA proficiency, grade 8 math proficiency. This will then lead to Nevada having the opportunity to build a coherent instructional system so every grade can have a strong foundation. 

1. Empowering Pathways

This priority focuses on preparing students for success after graduation. A long-term goal is increasing the percentage of students who earn meaningful credits or participate in experiences that prepare them for success after high school.

1. Equipped Educators

This priority focuses on ensuring students have access to qualified teachers. One long-term measure discussed was the percentage of students taught by a certified, in-field teacher. The goal is also to ensure that Nevada’s educator workforce is supported and sustained.

1. Enabling Conditions

This priority examines how well the education system is functioning as a whole. It focuses on whether the system is creating conditions that promote alignment, consistency, and coherence across the agency.

1. Student-Centered Systems

The discussion emphasized ensuring that students remain at the center of the state’s priorities. This includes making sure that when students experience challenges, they can access supportive teams and resources. Parent involvement was also emphasized, particularly the importance of communicating statewide priorities to families.

STIP will be used to translate the five priorities into a three phrase process that has measurable annual goals and benchmarks. This three phrase process gives a clear timeline of outputs. 

Phase 1: 

• Finding direction grounded in Nevada context. For example, a Statewide listening tour in which will be used to better understand what opportunities exist to improve student experience. 

Phase 2: 

• Drafting the STIP and aligning priorities. With this, there will be defined clear targets in which will be used to develop a roadmap of initiatives. 

Phase 3: 

• Approve statewide plan to create the vision for students. The STIP team will gather feedback, finalize the updated plan, present it to the State Board of Education, and submit it according to state requirements.

You can find more information about the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils HERE and HERE. 

Board Discussion

• Member Braxton expressed support for the discussion surrounding the survey, particularly its connection to long-term outcomes and determining which questions are feasible to answer.
• Members discussed the importance of ensuring that survey results can inform decisions and lead to meaningful changes.
• Member Hughes noted that districts have their own individual sets of priorities. The discussion emphasized the importance of local leadership, clearly defining what excellence looks like, and aligning strategies toward that standard.
• Members discussed the importance of ensuring everyone is aligned around successful strategies, while parent involvement was emphasized as an important part of communicating priorities and gathering meaningful feedback.
• Members discussed how the state can ensure that students experiencing challenges are connected with supportive teams and resources.
• The Board discussed appointing a liaison between the State Board of Education and the Department of Education for the STIP process.

Outcome

A motion was made to appoint Dawson Owens as the State Board representative/liaison to STIP. The motion to appoint Dawson Owens as the State Board representative to STIP passed.

Why it Matters

The Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP) helps set the direction for Nevada’s education system. The revision focuses on creating clear priorities, measurable goals, and a long-term roadmap for improving the student experience.

State Board of Education Goals and Performance Metrics: Empowered Pathways 

Context

This discussion focused on the State Board of Education’s goals and performance metrics for the Empowered Pathways priority. The discussion centered on preparing students for success after high school through strong academic preparation, college and career opportunities, workforce alignment, and improved graduation outcomes.

Board Discussion

• Member Orr discussed examining the percentage of students graduating on time with an Advanced Diploma.
• Members discussed potential changes to the College and Career Ready (CCR) Diploma and how it could serve as a leverage point for other education initiatives.
• The Board discussed additional data points for measuring student success, including workforce numbers and employment-related outcomes, and the importance of better aligning CCR outcomes with workforce needs.
• A request was made for a future presentation on workforce data to help determine whether students are being prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
• The Board discussed improving its ability to analyze data over time and evaluate whether students are successfully transitioning from high school into college, careers, and the workforce.
• Members discussed how Nevada compares with other states and whether students are being adequately prepared for college and career opportunities.
• The Board discussed existing programs and data, including Career and Technical Education (CTE), CCR programs, college and career alignment, student outcome data, and workforce preparation.
• Members emphasized identifying how existing programs and data can be used more effectively, including through cross-analysis between different measures and programs.
• Members also emphasized identifying areas where Nevada is already succeeding and showcasing those accomplishments, including its ranking among the top four states nationally for alignment.

Outcome

A motion was made to increase the percentage of high school students graduating on time with a CCR or Advanced Diploma from 35% to 60%. The motion passed. 

With the adoption of this goal, the Board now has a full set of goals for its statewide education priorities.

Why It Matters

The Empowered Pathways goal focuses on how well Nevada is preparing students for life after high school. Looking at graduation outcomes, college and career opportunities, workforce data, and the CCR Diploma helps the Board understand how students are transitioning from high school into college, careers, and the workforce.

Update regarding the Nevada District Performance Framework 

Context

The Nevada District Performance Framework (NDPF) is a new system that measures how well school districts are supporting students and schools. It looks at areas such as qualified teachers, instructional materials, college and career opportunities, school performance, and financial stability. The goal is to make district performance more transparent, identify areas that need improvement, and provide extra support to districts that need it. 

The NDPF connects to Nevada’s five main priorities: Strong Foundations, Empowered Pathways, Equipped Educators and Leaders, Informed and Connected Families, and Aligned Systems.

The framework asks two main questions: Are districts doing everything they can to help their teachers and students succeed, and are those efforts working?

The framework is organized like a pyramid, starting with the Effective District Practices at the bottom and building toward school and student outcomes at the top.

Legislation Highlight

SB 460 (2025): Establishes annual district accountability through NDPF. Through Senate Bill 460 (2025) a new vision for district accountability was made. This includes:

1. Shared goals and strong practice. 
2. Guide action, not just label performance. 
3. Flexible to improve over time.
4. Should be transparent to the public. 

You can find more information about the Nevada District Performance Framework HERE. 

Board Discussion

• Member Braxton asks what the consequences are of underperforming. If a district receives the lowest rating for a couple of years, it will become a priority district where the state will intervene more. This is still a work in progress.
• Member Ford asks where the public can review meetings about this topic. The information is available on the boards, commissions, and councils page.
• Member Ford asks for an informational item with summaries and meeting minutes from the meetings listed above so they can be reviewed.

Outcome

No formal action was taken during this portion of the meeting.

Why it Matters

The Nevada District Performance Framework provides a way to look at how well school districts are supporting students and schools.

Public Comment

Public Comment 1: Commenter, Jeff Church, suggests that reporting should break down the enrollment of Charters and actual District Schools. 

Public Comment 2: Commenter, Sarah G. discussed teacher salary compression and argued that state leaders need to address the issue. She emphasized that if Nevada wants to attract and retain experienced teachers, it must provide appropriate compensation and accountability. She suggested looking at how other districts and states address salary compression, noting that veteran teachers in Nevada can face suppressed earnings despite their experience and education. She called for new policies to better protect and compensate veteran educators.

You can find the meeting materials HERE, the agenda HERE, and the video recording HERE. The next meeting will be held on October 7th at 9:30 AM.