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Sudden teacher departure calls classroom qualifications into question

Posted at 12:40 PM, Oct 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-24 21:40:57-04

For years, the Clark County School District has been dealing with a perennial problem regarding how to fill hundreds of vacant teacher positions.

The Clark County Education Association says the problem is felt nationwide as well, especially a shortage of teachers who have a subject matter specialty, such as science.

"It is common, and sometimes things happen in peoples lives and they leave," said Vikki Courtney, President of the Clark County Education Association.

The shortage has been very apparent, after a biology teacher at Desert Pines High School had to leave abruptly. A whistle blower tells Contact 13, school leaders asked three special education teachers to fill in while a permanent replacement is located.

The whistle blower adds the staff members filling in are not 'qualified' and "do not hold a science endorsement on their  Nevada teaching licenses."

Courtney says the district is facing 400 teacher vacancies and there are times staff members are asked to fill in.

A Clark County School District spokesperson tells Contact 13, the special education teachers are working along side a substitute teacher until a permanent replacement is found.