Sisolak: Looming teachers strike not state's problem to fix

Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday placed the blame for the looming teachers strike at the feet of Clark County School District, saying “I get why teachers are angry.”

Standing alongside Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Speaker Jason Frierson in a press conference, the governor attempted to distance his office and the Legislature from the ongoing dispute between what is by far the state’s largest school district and Clark County Education Association, the union representing the district’s more than 18,000 teachers. Sisolak said it was the sole responsibility of CCSD “to manage their obligations” and make the appropriate budget request to the state.

Sisolak says his budget fulfilled the district’s request, which included a 2 percent across-the-board “step increases,” a 3 percent salary increase and 4 percent in additional health care contributions. It appears CCSD did not request from the state enough funding to honor “column advancements,” raises of around $5,400 that educators can earn investing time and money into professional development, despite those raises being contractually obligated.

“They created this mess,” said Sisolak of the district. “They need to fix it.”

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2019/08/23/sisolak-looming-teachers-strike-not-states-problem-to-fix/