LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As CCSD Superintendent Jhone Ebert approaches her 1-year mark, we’re speaking with her about some of her early successes and things she still wants to improve moving forward.
We asked Superintendent Ebert to grade herself so far.
“I give myself anywhere between a B and a B+. I can always do better every single day, and that's what the team and I work on, but very proud of the work that's been accomplished, and we've been noted nationally too for our work as well, so very happy,” said Ebert.
WATCH: Justin Hinton speaks to CCSD Superintendent Jhone Ebert in an one-on-one interview
One viewer reached out to Good Morning Las Vegas Anchor and education reporter Justin Hinton to ask about artificial intelligence in the classroom.
Use of AI in the classroom
“Excited about AI and the appropriate use. I know a lot of parents are concerned about how we're using it. Will our students learn how to use it appropriately? We have it available for 100% of our teachers, our administrators across the school district. And then schools opt in to be able to use it with our students. We make sure our teachers are prepared, students understand. I did a podcast, so if people are interested, I have some middle school students that explain how they use AI and love it, so it is something we are definitely tracking, making it part of our tool kit, if you will, for our students and our teachers.
On the budget
“We don't have a budget deficit,” she said. “That's not the case. We actually have fewer students across the school district, approximately 5000 is what we're projecting, so that causes us to adjust the staff we have. What a lot of people don't know is we have 44,000 staff members, and so with 1200 people that are in what we call surplus process, they have a job today. They'll be able to apply for a job for next year in another school, another setting. We fully expect that we'll be able to place everybody for the fall.”
What can parents do to make sure their students are successful?
“Number one is please be engaged. We want 100% of our parents to be engaged in their child's learning. Their teacher is their first point of contact that they have an understanding of how their child is moving forward with the curriculum. If they're excelling, everybody wants to know if their child's excelling, so making sure that you know teachers and parents are communicating, ‘Hey you're doing really well, above grade level work and reading but guess what? We need to do a little more work in mathematics, so can we work together as a team with this child to make sure that they're successful?’ so communication,” she said. “Maybe they've had a conversation with a teacher and they're still not happy with whatever has transpired, they can always go to the principal and have that conversation and so right there in the school building, everybody working together, our children will be successful.
On an efficiency study within the district
“Really excited that we're conducting an efficiency study right now. One hasn't been conducted on the Clark County School District since 2011, so looking across the entire system to see, and it's not to blame or shame anyone, but having someone else come in and look at the work that we're doing so that if there's, you know, $3 million over here that we can do business differently then we can drive that $3 million into classroom support, additional teachers, all of those pieces so that is and will be published this summer,” she said.
