The Clark County School District (CCSD) commenced its school year two weeks ago, and for a segment of students engaged in virtual learning, the transition has presented considerable hurdles, particularly at Nevada Learning Academy (NVLA).
Brooke Murray Head, a concerned parent, voiced her frustrations, stating, “I think ‘careless’ is the word that CCSD said, go, go to—we got this great virtual option. And they didn’t, they didn’t see this coming.” Her experience reflects the sentiment of numerous parents struggling to enroll their children in classes at Nevada Learning Academy, the designated virtual learning institution for CCSD students whose regular schools did not offer distance learning.
“Many parents can’t even get their children enrolled,” Brooke explained. “And we’re struggling with little technical issues that can be dealt with.” For Brooke’s children, Evan and Samuel, the start of school was delayed by eight days due to account complications, despite the official district commencement on August 9th. She recounted her attempts to seek assistance, “I let the whole first week go. And by the time Monday rolled around, August 16th, I thought, wow, are you serious? They -no phone call, no email, no way to contact the school you call CCSD. They say sorry, you’re gonna have to contact NVLA, and their voicemail boxes are full. So, I had absolutely no choice. I had to go down there.” Brooke’s persistence in visiting NVLA in person over two days eventually resolved the issues, enabling her sons to finally access their virtual classrooms.
Tiffany Netter, mother to second-grader Jahon, an IEP student, encountered similar enrollment obstacles. “We received an email probably like a week and a half prior to school starting on August 9,” Tiffany shared. “And we was leaving messages, then and calling and leaving voicemails, and no one gave us back a call.” Missing orientation and facing communication silence prompted Tiffany to also visit NVLA directly. “He was able to check out a Chromebook, so we at least got that done,” she said, acknowledging a partial resolution. However, communication gaps persisted as crucial emails were sent to her son’s account instead of hers, causing further delays. Tiffany expressed her concern about the implications of missed learning time for Jahon, particularly given his special needs: “He’s autistic, so that in itself, you know he’s a little bit behind, and needs these essential requirements or services that he need.”
Even after overcoming initial enrollment hurdles, challenges remain within the virtual classrooms. Brooke described the current learning environment: “My son’s music class had 133 kids in it today. PE yesterday was, I believe, 150. And my son’s psychology teacher had a family emergency, and there was no substitute. That’s two days in a row.” These large class sizes and substitute shortages are impacting the virtual learning experience at Nevada Learning Academy.
The principal of NVLA addressed these issues in a communication to families, citing a “tremendous amount of enrollment requests” for elementary students leading to scheduling delays and teacher changes. Dr. Jesus Jara, District Superintendent, confirmed the significant enrollment surge to News 3, reporting over 6000 students enrolled in NVLA as of Thursday. This figure starkly contrasts with the 450 full-time students enrolled in the 2020-2021 school year, highlighting the exponential growth Nevada Learning Academy is experiencing.
Dr. Jara acknowledged the district-wide staffing challenges: “Our teacher vacancy obviously districtwide. We do have over 700 teacher vacancies across the board. And I tell you it’s not just teachers. It substitutes, support professionals. And it’s not just Clark County School District, it’s nationally. So it’s a challenge we’re working diligently to address.” The district is actively working to address these staffing shortages, which are not unique to Nevada Learning Academy but reflect a broader national trend.
Despite the ongoing challenges, families are striving to maintain a positive outlook. Samuel, a student at Nevada Learning Academy, expressed a cautious hope, “If we were to see how the first week went, I’m kind of scared for the rest of the semester if they can’t get their emails in and get better contacting with the parents.” The experiences of parents and students at Nevada Learning Academy underscore the complexities of rapidly scaling virtual learning programs and the critical need for effective communication and robust support systems.
Have you encountered similar challenges with Nevada Learning Academy? Share your experiences by emailing [email protected] or calling 702-805-0489.
