Good morning, and welcome to the Indy Education newsletter. I’m Rocio Hernandez, The Nevada Independent’s K-12 education reporter. 

This newsletter provides a recap of the latest education stories and highlights interesting educators, students, programs and other events and resources throughout the state. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter and receive it each week via email.

I want to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions on what I should be covering to [email protected]. 

News briefs

🔎 Clark County School Board reviews tentative timeline for superintendent search — The school board reaffirmed its intention to have a new superintendent in place by November. According to a proposed timeline discussed at a Wednesday work session, the board expects to select a firm that will help it with the search at a May 29 special board meeting, and have an initial meeting with the chosen firm at a June 20 special meeting. The rest of the timeline is still to be determined. 

👩‍🏫Clark County schools turning to Southern California for teachers — The Clark County School District is looking to draw in Southern California teachers as part of a new recruitment campaign launched last week. Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell said during a legislative subcommittee meeting last week that the district has about 1,400 teacher vacancies out of its approximately 18,000 licensed educator positions. She said the district is targeting Southern California, where there have recently been teacher layoffs. The district said in a press release the campaign will showcase the benefits of living in Southern Nevada. The district is also touting  its starting salary of $54,000, the second highest among the 17 school districts in the state behind only rural Eureka County. 

⏰ State board to gather feedback on high school start times — The State Board of Education is developing questions for a statewide survey that will ask parents, students, school officials and community members their thoughts on high school start times. Board President Felicia Ortiz has been advocating for flexible start time options for students, citing recommendations from experts such as the American Academy of Pediatrics as a way to help teens get more sleep. 

Last month, the board voted to scrap an idea for a proposed regulation on high school start times and instead gather community feedback and share the results with lawmakers.

The board expects to release the survey in September. 

School Spotlight

High school seniors design product meant to reduce hand tremors

As volunteers at Renown Regional Medical Center, Galena High School students Keira O’Leary, Manvi Mummalaneni and Cielo Coudriet met patients who struggled with hand tremors. An older volunteer they worked with also suffered with this condition, which made it difficult for her to use her phone even with the aid of a stylus pen. 

That experience served as the inspiration for a school project that aims to reduce the shaking in patients’ hands. 

The group worked together to develop a hand brace that targets two pressure points in the hand and wrist to reduce shaking. Coudriet said it's meant to be a more affordable alternative to other existing medications and treatments. 

“It's comfortable, easy to use, adjustable and it's lightweight,” she said. “That's a big thing for people with hand tremors. They don't want something weighing on them.”

The three seniors from Galena High School in Reno were recognized for their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills last month when they were named the state winners of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. All three are part of the school’s STEM Academy. 

As state winners, the team received $12,000 worth of technology for their school. 

“This group of girls has worked very hard to try and solve a problem they see in the community,” said Autumn Laidlaw-Amantia, the students’ engineering design and development teacher. “They are an example of what our engineering program can help kids accomplish."

The students said the experience they’ve gained through the project has been especially eye-opening for O’Leary, who plans on becoming a biomedical engineer, and Coudriet, who hopes to become a physical therapist, while Mummalaneni wants to pursue a career as a corporate lawyer. 

Their next step? Return to the hospital, and have patients try out their prototype. 

Have a student or staffer who we should feature in the next edition of School Spotlight? Share your nominations with me at [email protected].

Extra Credit

Jara’s parting gesture: raises for his cabinet

Before leaving the Clark County School District this year, then-Superintendent Jesus Jara gave members of his executive cabinet significant raises, including a pay hike of 40 percent to the chief of police, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. 

Events    

🥦 Northern Nevada Giant Student Farmers Market — Wednesday, May 15, 10 a.m. - noon   

Green Our Planet is hosting its second annual student farmers market in Northern Nevada at Fuji Park, located at 601 Old Creek Road in Carson City. The market will feature about 10 local schools. 

🍎 Clark County School Board meeting — Thursday, May 9, 5 p.m.    

The agenda includes a discussion on chronic absenteeism, and a discussion and possible action on designating certain positions, such as elementary school counselor, as a critical labor shortage. 

Featured social media post

Look out for Gene Ward Elementary School third grader Evelyn Hernandez’s artwork next time you are by the Harry Reid Airport in Las Vegas.