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CCSD Board Candidate Patricia Krajcech On Sex Ed, Reorganization

This election season, six candidates are vying to represent District A on the Clark County School District Board of Trustees. 

Primary elections are quickly approaching on June 14, with early voting starting May 28.

KNPR decided to take a closer look at some  local races, and will be talking to candidates over the next few weeks. Patricia Krajcech joins KNPR to talk about her campaign and upcoming issues facing the school district - including sex education, district reorganization and the ESL programs. 

INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:

Why do you want to run for the school board?

Education has been my passion for many years. I started teaching in 1978.

I was the director of government relations for CCEA (Clark County Education Association). I moved on from there and opened Teachers Choice, which many of your listeners I’m sure have visited, an educational materials store.

I really missed kids. So I went back to the classroom. I was a gifted and talented teacher, a Title One teacher, a Gear Up coordinator and teacher.

What is your view of teaching students about gender identity and sexual orientation?

Students are much more accepting of their peers and the kids I’ve become close with have developed a very special network of friends of all genders and more than likely became very popular. I think it moves into bullying and if you allow bullying then no matter what gender can be another way to attack another person.

Parents probably need more education than students.

Sex education should be more comprehensively taught in Clark County? Yes. That is your view? Yes.

Are you confident that we can have autonomous schools?

Absolutely. To force it upon a district that is already comfortable with its structure would be a mistake. Do I believe that schools can run themselves? Absolutely! They do for the most part. It has to be that way because they know the diverse needs of their students.

Does every school have the leadership to do that?

What I’ve always thought about leaders is they come from the education ranks and because you are an excellent teacher that doesn’t necessarily mean you have the management skills the accounting skills the counseling skills that go into running a school successfully.

I think offering leaders that opportunity to be able to learn to be the best would be extraordinary. I believe all levels of employees in the school district should continue to learn new skills.

If we break up the district into empowerment zones, how to make sure there is equality between the more wealthy areas and the low-income areas of the valley?

“Site based decision making… is separate and apart from breaking up the school district. Site based decision making would have teachers, support staff, administration involved collectively with determining the needs of the school, the way the budget should be spent, priorities and so forth. Breaking up the school district, in my opinion, would add additional layers of administration that really could be used more effectively helping individual schools.”

What are your views on getting kids who are in English language learner classes into the mainstream classes?

I have not seen the new plan, however, I am licensed to teach English as a second language, TESL. I have worked closely with ESL teachers what I know is there are not enough services for second language students to move out of the program

If we’re talking about money, I would say let’s not break up the school district, let’s put some money where we really have to and that would be certainly in ESL.

What is the biggest issue you think is facing the school district?

Budget. Brining money in. When I hear we need to cut the budget. CCSD is going to cut the budget. That is really not appropriate, realistic, helpful. We’ve talked for years about expanding the tax base. A broad-based system where we would be regularly and equally taking in money. As I reviewed the 2012 budget – fiscal budget – it’s really the residents that are paying the brunt of taxes. If this state is the Entertainment Capitol of the World, I would say we should shift some of those taxes towards tourism and people who come here because they love it. They want to be here and they can certainly help us out. 

District A candidates as listed on the ballot include James Gartside, Patricia Krajcech, Mallory Levins, Shawn Mueller, Richard Vaughan, and Deanna Lee Wright (incumbent). KNPR News has reached out to all candidates in this race to participate. 

 

Patricia Krajcech, candidate for Clark County School District Board of Trustees, 

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Prior to taking on the role of Broadcast Operations Manager in January 2021, Rachel was the senior producer of KNPR's State of Nevada program for 6 years. She helped compile newscasts and provided coverage for and about the people of Southern Nevada, as well as major events such as the October 1 shooting on the Las Vegas strip, protests of racial injustice, elections and more. Rachel graduated with a bachelor's degree of journalism and mass communications from New Mexico State University.