Leadership that hurts children's education in Las Vegas

[VNewz...]

Is Children's Education Truly The Priority In Las Vegas Charter Schools?

Anonymous Teacher Releases Inside Leadership Issues Affect Students and Staff

To Whom this may concern,

I am writing to express my concerns following the board meeting held on September 30, 2024. Unfortunately, much of what was shared during that meeting included half-truths and, in some instances, outright falsehoods. I believe it is important to set the record straight.

I resigned from my position as an EL Paraprofessional at Legacy North Valley on October 10, 2024, after a short tenure. I want to acknowledge that I was not fully aware of the expectations of my role before starting, and after beginning, I found the training to be inadequate. The two EL paraprofessionals who resigned over the summer had spent much of their time playing games with students, which led me to believe that this was standard practice. Despite voicing my concerns to the administration, no substantive changes were made. Even this year, we received no proper training. Instead, we were provided with resources to print and distribute, which most of the EL students were unable to use due to their current academic level. The EL program at North Valley seems to prioritize financial gain for the school over addressing the actual needs of the students. I have also expressed my belief that many of these students do not have language barriers and should be evaluated for special education services instead.

The current changes being introduced should have been implemented last year when the school was already a two-star institution. While I do not want to see the school close—especially for the sake of the students—I strongly believe that North Valley is in dire need of new leadership. Mr. Campbell, in my experience, has not demonstrated effective leadership. The changes he has initiated appear more focused on job preservation rather than improving student outcomes. I fear that under his leadership, students will continue to fall behind academically.

Moreover, Mr. Campbell has exhibited favoritism, and there is a lack of consistency in how employees of different demographics are treated. I raised concerns about this with Mrs. Ballard during my evaluation last year, but they were dismissed. I also addressed these issues with Nathalie Burgass, a close associate of Mr. Campbell and the deputy superintendent, but no action was taken. Mr. Campbell's demeanor toward students is often rude, and his treatment of women, in particular, is dismissive and condescending. He tends to be unresponsive unless higher-level administrators are present. During a conversation about TenSquare, he remarked, "I want these fucking people out of my building," and suggested the school would not renew its charter due to impending receivership. Such language is inappropriate and unprofessional.

Additionally, during an all-staff meeting on Friday, September 27, 2024, Mr. Campbell informed staff that the school would be closing, which fueled rumors about the school's impending closure. We later learned that teachers would be written up for failing to update data, despite being told earlier that data entry was not a priority. He has since issued level 2 write-ups to teachers, bypassing the verbal and level 1 warnings outlined in policy.

I also want to bring attention to an incident involving a disabled young woman who works at the front desk. Mr. Campbell accused her of smelling like marijuana, which she denied. I witnessed him humiliating her by spraying her with air freshener in front of others. In the days that followed, he continued to "smell" her each time she came to work, eventually sending her home after Nathalie Burgass claimed she, too, smelled marijuana. The handling of this situation was unprofessional and deeply inappropriate. Meanwhile, the head custodian was smoking a cigarette on the kindergarten playground without consequence.

I have also been subjected to unfair treatment. According to the 2024-2025 employee handbook, support staff are permitted to wear acceptable shorts and spirit shirts. However, on multiple occasions, Mrs. Ballard approached me about my knee-length shorts and spirit shirt, even though my attire complied with the handbook. She made a comment about my body type, which I found discriminatory, as I cannot change my body shape. As an African American woman, I should not be singled out for my appearance when my clothing adheres to the guidelines. Mrs. Ballard admitted that Mr. Campbell had asked her to address me, and when I asked to speak with him directly, she informed me that I was not allowed to do so.

Finally, I would like to address additional miscommunication from the meeting. Superintendent Emiling mentioned that teachers were expected to pull spelling from weekly reading materials, but no such materials were provided. I can confirm this because I worked closely with teachers to support my EL students. The implementation of IXL was also discussed, but there are not enough one-to-one devices for the students. While the idea of hiring more paraprofessionals for classroom support is promising, I have witnessed several qualified candidates—particularly an African American male with a Psychology degree—being rejected by Mrs. Ballard for discriminatory reasons. She openly stated, "I don't want him here because I don't like the way he looks," and even requested that his employer not send him back to North Valley. Such behavior is both inappropriate and discriminatory.

In conclusion, the current narrative being portrayed about day-to-day operations at North Valley is not accurate. The issues with communication and leadership are far deeper than what is being presented.