District Administration - February 2012 - (Page 49)

Dwight Jones faces tough odds in his new role leading the Clark County School District in Nevada. by Ericka MEllon B Changer his thin experience as a superintendent. Jones previously served for four years as the superintendent of colorado’s fountain-fort carson school district, which has 50 times fewer students than the clark county district. Jones, in a note to the community after being hired, said the clark county board brought him in to be “a game changer.” and in his first year, he has explained to the community the district’s weaknesses and immediate reforms—putting each at-risk The Game bEforE thE sun risEs Most days, dwight d. Jones is at the office. since becoming superintendent of the clark county school district (ccsd) in nevada last december, 4:30 a.m. arrivals are common. “There’s just hardly enough time in the day,” Jones says. to be sure, the challenges facing the nation’s fifth-largest school district are great. The recession not just hit, but smacked, nevada, and the clark county district—which includes las Vegas and the surrounding rural areas—has cut nearly $5oo million from its budget over four years. couple the staggering financial woes with a dismal academic track record—roughly half the students don’t graduate—and it’s easy to understand why Jones doesn’t sleep. The 49-year-old father of three was the commissioner of education in colorado when the clark county board of trustees hired him to run its 308,000-student district, not bothered by Above right, Clark County School District Superintendent Dwight Jones is often found at his desk before the sun rises. Above left, Jones discusses his “Ready by Exit” strategy at a recent Board of Trustees meeting. “Ready by Exit” means prepared to step into college or other postsecondary education with the knowledge and skills to be successful. www.DistrictAdministration.com Dwight D. Jones Superintendent, Clark County (Nev.) School District Age: 49 • Salary: $270,000 Schools: 357 • Students: 308,447 Staff: 37,361, including 17,555 licensed personnel Students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch: 54% Demographics: 43.4% Hispanic, 30.2% Caucasian, 12% African American, 6.6% Asian, 5.8% multiracial, 1.5% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.5% Native American Web site: www.ccsd.net February 2012 49 http://www.ccsd.net http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2012

District Administration - February 2012
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Conversations
Product Focus
What Can U.S. Schools Learn From Foreign Counterparts?
A New Prescription for Fighting Drug Abuse
The Game Changer
The Legal Implications of Surveillance Cameras
CIO News
Mobile Devices Drive Creative Instruction
Products
Crisis Response
Professional Opinion
Problem/Solution
New Directions

District Administration - February 2012