Destination District: A CCSD Podcast
Join Superintendent Jhone Ebert and guests as they elevate student voices from across Clark County School District. Each monthly episode features candid conversations with students, staff, and community members about what matters most in CCSD - from academic achievements to wellness initiatives. Hear directly from the students who make our district a destination for learning.
Artwork by Gloria Demian, CCSD Class of ’26
Destination District: A CCSD Podcast
Voices of the Clark County School District: Building a Destination District Together
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Welcome to the first episode of the Destination District: A CCSD Podcast, a space where educators, students, and leaders share ideas that shape the future of our schools.
This episode explores four cornerstones of student success: pre-kindergarten, early literacy, middle school mathematics, and college and career readiness. Principals and program leaders highlight how strong foundations in reading and math lead to greater opportunities in high school and beyond.
Listeners will also hear directly from CCSD students about how specialized programs are preparing them for the workforce of tomorrow. Across every conversation, one theme shines through: collaboration at all levels to ensure every student is engaged, empowered, and ready to explore what’s next.
Welcome to Destination District Podcast
Speaker 1Hello everyone and welcome to the Destination District podcast. I'm Superintendent Joan Ebert and I'm excited to engage with our school communities to talk about how we can make CCSD the destination district for our students and families. We are recording today at the amazing Vegas PBS studio. This will be a first of its kind podcast within the Clark County School District and will be amplifying the voices of our students, staff and administration within the Clark County School District. What a better way to start this journey than by taking a deeper dive into some of the areas of academic focus that were featured in my first 100 days as superintendent. Remember, the Destination district is so much better when we get there together. Such an exciting time to be here at Vegas PBS and the new podcast studio that was the brainchild of our students.
Academic Focus: First 100 Days Plan
Speaker 1We have so many things to be excited about here in CCSD. Together, we're going to hear about some of the wins we have seen in our four key areas of academic focus. For those of you out there, we're focusing on pre-K, early literacy, growth, middle school, math proficiency and getting students ready for workforce or college pathways. Before we hear from our central office administrators, our school principals, amazing students I asked Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, dr Jesse Welsh, to join me to discuss what the 100-day plan entails and why these academic areas are outlined in the plan and so important for our students. So, dr Welsh, thank you for being here this morning. This plan, this high-level 100-day plan, is described as the foundation for our longer-term success of the strategic plan and in this episode, we're going to focus on the four key academic pillars, those being pre-K literacy, math and workforce readiness and the interconnectedness between all of those in K-12 community. Can you lean in and share what you see and how the entire leadership team is moving forward?
Speaker 3Yeah, absolutely so. I mean really to what you said. There is a big interconnectedness with all of those. We know that pre-K lays that foundation for our students to be ready to read and learn how to read in K-3. That success in reading then translates over to our middle schools and then you know, you switch from learning to read in K-3. That success in reading then translates over to our middle schools and then you know, you switch from learning to read to reading in order to learn.
Speaker 3You know mathematics is a keystone to so many other things that happen in high school and high school, of course, that's when we're preparing kids for college, for careers, for all of those opportunities that come after high school. So you know, really, when we think about the work of that 100-day plan and the work in the four big buckets there, it's really about focusing in on what are the early wins that we can get in those areas and then the things that we can start to put in place here for the upcoming school year to make sure that we're on that right path for success.
Speaker 1Yeah. So talking about wins, how does the plan balance celebrating the progress that we've made, the tyranny of the urgent, and then also innovate and address the areas where growth is still needed?
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean we have some great things that are already in place in the Clark County School District and some areas where we know that we can just double down and really hone in to make sure that we're doing the right kind of work and really hone in to make sure that we're doing the right kind of work. So you know all of the work that we've been doing around our tier one materials and making sure that we have that in place so there's consistency with our curriculum. I can't understate the importance of having a qualified educator in every classroom, because we know those classroom teachers are what makes the difference for our kids every day. And then really for those teachers to then develop the skill in using those tier one materials, adapting them, making sure they're meeting the needs of the kids that are sitting in front of them I think that's where the you know really starts to happen classrooms, listening and learning alongside our educators and our students.
Speaker 1What makes you excited about being back in the Clark County School District?
Speaker 3I just love seeing the kids, man, like that is the best part. And like all ages, those little kids I mean, they just are so full of energy and excitement, enthusiasm, and like all of our secondary kids who are, you know they're too cool for school, but like I love it.
Speaker 1I love it Like.
Speaker 3I'm there for that.
Pre-K Education with Dr. Krash
Speaker 1Well, thank you so much for joining me this morning. We'll hear from you again to talk specifically about middle school mathematics and the proficiency Everyone. Please welcome Dr Jesse Welsh, our Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. Ask anyone the importance of pre-kindergarten opportunities in education and they will say virtually the same thing. It is an essential part of building students' confidence at the early stages of their education. Joining me to discuss the importance of pre-K in CCSD are Dr Delilah Krash, director of Early Childhood Services, and Sarah Cypress, principal at Treme Elementary School. Yes, go Treme. It was so wonderful to be at your school the other day and see the pre-K students there. As we start off this morning, delilah, I'm going to start with you. Why is pre-K such an important step in the learning process for our students?
Speaker 4So we know that when our students come to us, that it's going to be their first experience in school most likely and so what we're really trying to do in our classrooms is create the love for learning, and so we want students to be explorers, we want them to learn to ask questions, we want them to learn to engage with their environment and really learn to be learners.
Speaker 1Learn to be learners. I love it. And, principal Cypress, this year you added a pre-K Nevada ready pre K and you raised your hand. No one came. You know it's like hey, me, me, why, you, why? Treem Elementary and why pre-K?
Speaker 5Yep, absolutely so. At TREEM we did already have two pre-K programs, so this would be our third edition. When I got the call in April if I wanted to add a pre-K pack, it wasn't a want, it was a need for our community, and so, because of our extensive wait list that we've had for years at TREEM, parents are asking for it, the community is asking for it. It's a matter of giving them the relief to provide that child care, to provide that foundation, like Dr Crash said, in their first step and journey of learning, and so it was a no-brainer.
Speaker 1We had to have it at TREEM, thank, you for filling such a great need and for continuing to raise your hand and making sure that our children have what they need. So, when you think about implementation for and this is for either of you or both of you when we think about key strategies, implementation pre-kindergarten, what are those things that we should be looking at?
Speaker 5So I think it's a balance of routine and structure and then also free play and exploration. So it has to be a balance. So when you saw on Monday it was literally an hour into these four-year-old little babies welcome to school. They were practicing things like walking in a line and moving safely from one spot in the classroom to another, walking in a line and moving safely from one spot in the classroom to another, and so that's that structure piece. But you probably also saw that the classroom was set up in centers and so there's that opportunity for free play and exploration. So I can go be a astronaut over here and over here I can draw or paint a wonderful picture and I have a library over here, and so there's so much value in that balance of what a four-year-old, a three, four and five-year-old would need for that kind of structure in the pre-K program.
Speaker 4And Delilah yeah, go for it. So really, in pre-K, what we want to do is we take the academic content and we want to bring it to the student. So, rather than having a lot of teacher-directed instruction in the classroom, we want the instruction to be a part of what they're engaging in and exploring and kind of involved with in the classroom and they're making choices and they're learning what they love.
Speaker 1Well, and it was so you know high school math teacher. So I haven't taught pre-K but I could. When I was with the kids and they were even just doing Little Bunny Foo, foo, right, the fine motor skills in their hands and the song and getting along and making sure that we're part of the group. It was wonderful to see. Are there specific metrics that we're looking? I mean, these are babies. Are there metrics and data that we still look at when we have a pre-K program?
Speaker 5Yeah, so it's actually more observational data that the classroom teachers and the assistant will be taking throughout the course of their time in the program, so opposed to like a traditional test. There's domains in which they're going to look at and see if there's been progress made, so things like physical growth, mathematics is obviously one of them, literacy is one of them social, emotional, one of them social-emotional and so they're actually the teacher is going to be doing some observational data and then looking at work samples as well to gauge their growth through the program.
Speaker 4And our district-wide assessment system does have objectives that are aligned to the pre-kindergarten the Nevada pre-kindergarten standards, and so we are looking at specific things to ensure that students are developing and gaining those academic achievements as expected.
Speaker 1Really quick. What's your favorite part of your job?
Speaker 4My favorite part of my job, I have to say, right now is being in the community and engaging with families and with students in schools.
Speaker 5Absolutely. And I would say the same thing getting out there, getting to see the needs of the community, being with my teachers, being with my community, being with my teachers, being with my community. And then for me personally if I can just remove the principal hat for a second I'm a mom and my own two kiddos are TREEM babies and they're pre-K babies and, just as a family, having that option as pre-K for my family has meant the world Principal.
Early Literacy with Dr. Fernandez
Speaker 1Cypress. Thank you, dr Crash, for being here this morning. When you think about the work that you do with our youngest learners, our babies, we are CCSD and that means we are moms, we are principals, we are directors and we care about all of our children's success. Thank you for joining me this morning.
Speaker 5Thank you, superintendent Ebert, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1When we return we will be talking with Elena Kreiner-Wilson, assistant Superintendent of the Curriculum and Instruction Division, and Dr Jane Fernandez, principal at Goldfarb Elementary School. We'll be speaking with them about our early learning initiatives. We are back at the Vegas PBS studios and this segment is like our passing period we can see our friends and we get to the inside scoop on important topics during a passing period. And so let's get the inside scoop on early literacy with assistant superintendent of the curriculum and professional development division, elena Kreiner-Wilson, and Dr Jane Fernandez, principal of Goldfarb Elementary School. So the first 100-day plan emphasizes improving third grade reading proficiency by focusing on tier one instruction and differentiation. Oh, those education terms For our teachers. What does that look like If I was a parent? You know I'm watching a teacher. What does it look like in the classroom on a practical day-to-day basis?
Speaker 6Yeah, great question, superintendent, and glad to be here today with both of you. I think from a perspective of a teacher, what that looks like is, first of all, the teacher is well-planned, thinking about their students, the needs of the students in front of them. How that gets into the classroom is the teacher has rich texts, as we're talking about literacy in front of students, teaching to the standard but facilitating student learning. So you'll see the teacher circulating, walking around, listening in on conversations and listening for bits of pieces of information that help the teacher know. Okay, the student is getting it. I'm going to keep them going. Or I need to accelerate the student's learning because they are really getting it and I need to move them on to the next task. Or you know what I think? I'm going to pull this small group of students who may need some additional support and understanding what it is that they're teaching. So they're constantly monitoring that classroom environment so students can thrive and master the standards.
Speaker 1Kind of like a coach, you know. I see on the football field a coach you know gathers people in a certain area, sends the runners running and others that need to pass the football in groups. So that's exciting. We want to make sure they're successful like a team. Yes, calling those plays yes. Dr Fernandez, what do you think about maintaining a strong academic focus? We have a lot to celebrate with Goldfarb.
Speaker 7Thank you for having us today, superintendent. And at Goldfarb, our Tier 1 instruction is our strong focus, so it is encompassed with three R's Relationships rigor and relevance. Our staff build positive and nurturing relationships with our students, and our students know they are aware that they are being loved. We truly care about them and we want what's best for them and we want them to be successful. So, with rigor and relevance, it goes to our tier one instruction. It is aligned with a premise that task predicts performance. The real accountability is in the tasks that our students are engaged in, and so at Goldfarb we strive daily to follow our tier one expectations.
Speaker 1That is wonderful Everything that you were describing. Thinking about the teachers and what they do each and every day to support that learning environment and those specific components. A lot of research there. When we think about the long-term benefits for early literacy and education and becoming the destination district, what do you think about, dr?
Speaker 6Kreiner. I think quite simply that early literacy is the foundation for all academic success. We want our students to be able to read, write, speak, listen, communicate in a variety of formats to be able to be successful. So this is thinking about this is just as strong as having this foundation, as crucial as any sturdy building. So for our students, it's really important that as part of their educational journey they have those opportunities to grow in their literacy skills, to be that destination district, because being a destination district is a place where students, families, community members and educators choose to want to be. If we have our students literate in every single way possible, we become not only more attractive as a district but really that model to show others that we can do this and how it can be done. So tying those two together serves our students in the now but also for the long term to be successful in their educational journeys.
Speaker 1So well said, and they have access to all the other content areas. Right, if they're literate. We all know mathematics near and dear to my heart, but if they can't read, then they won't even have access to the math. So thank you both. I loved the conversation around discourse when we think about being able to navigate the world that we have today. I want to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart in this insightful discussion and keeping our kids on track, our students, getting them ready, making sure they're proficient.
Middle School Math Success
Speaker 1Our Read by Grade 3 program we know statewide, has been in place for many years and I'm very excited that our next topic is going to move on to the world of mathematics, based on what you have shared with me in our homeroom section. Thank you both very much. As we know, math can elicit many different responses from students and families. As a former math teacher, I am very used to the struggles students can have with this topic and it's usually in their minds. They can be successful, but I'm excited that we are addressing many of the challenges that our students face with math and I want to welcome back Dr Jesse Welsh, along with Fertitta Middle School Principal Greg Cicados and Dr Abigail Johnson of Fremont Academy and how they have addressed math proficiency on their campuses. Dr Welsh, we're going to start with you this morning. In your opinion, why middle school mathematics at this point in time and why are we maintaining a strong focus for the 25-26 school year?
Speaker 3Yeah, no great question. And I think one of the big pieces with middle school math is it really sets the tone for students in their high school coursework and then college and career readiness. So that's really the foundation of where all of that starts. I think that's really the critical piece.
Speaker 1And the 100-day plan calls for expanding tier two supports in middle school math. How can we best identify students to make sure that they're meeting their goals, and how does math contribute to student achievement and prepare students for workforce and college readiness?
Speaker 3Yeah, a lot there. So I think one big piece when we think about middle school math is really making sure we have those supports in place for students that might need that extra instruction. They might need some additional support. So working within the classroom, pulling small groups, having opportunities for tutoring for students so they can get that help that they need to be able to move on. And we know that mathematics there's lots of research out there that shows how students' success, early success in mathematics and getting to algebra results, really sets the tone for them and their futures. So we know that's what we've got to get kids prepared for.
Speaker 1Thank you and principals, you have been doing amazing work at your schools, lifting our kids up, making sure they're successful. What's the secret sauce to all of this?
Speaker 8Well, at Fertitta Leadership Academy we enjoy working with our kids on a smaller level. So we take students during what we call instructional opportunity time. So we're on an 80 minute block schedule and so our teachers who are on prep, they take their 50 minute prep and then their additional 30 minutes. They have instructional opportunity time and they work with four to five students on their math deficits and it really connects to kids at a deeper level and when students aren't able to ask those questions during class time because there's 30 kids in a class, then they're able to ask those questions and get answers and get help with their deficit during that 30 minutes. So it's really productive and it also helps them and sets them up for success in all math.
Speaker 1So high dosage. We're going to make sure you got your math right there in a small group and moving forward short period of time, so I'm like not going. Oh my gosh, I'm going to look at the clock every second, but 30 minutes I love it.
Speaker 8Absolutely.
Speaker 9At Fremont we really approach math instruction with an inclusive attitude. We want our kids to know they belong at our amazing magnet school and they all have big dreams of pursuing careers in medical science. We know how critical it is that they have math skills in order to pursue and be successful in those careers, and so we have set up our classrooms. We are also on a block setup and we use some of our approved tier two supports to supplement our Carnegie math instruction. And so we have our students.
Speaker 9We're looking at frequent formative assessments to see where they're at in instruction and providing that kind of just right remediation and ensuring that they're prepared to show what they've learned on that summative. We do backward planning. We're always knowing where the direction we're going and making sure that our students you know, because oftentimes students decide in elementary school that if they're good or not good in math, and so we want to break down those barriers. And so sometimes there's challenges. They come in with some learning gaps and we want to make sure that we overcome that and set them on the path for success.
Speaker 8You know, and I think through our Southwest PLC we talk a lot with other principals about how is it working at your school and really us just taking that idea of like math is not going to get harder, it's only going to get longer. So we do additional things with that. But in our Southwest PLC group with principals we really dig into that and we help and support each other and we do walkthroughs and that's super supportive and kids see that. You know there's principals from other schools who care about me as well and what can we do to make sure that you know CCSD is this destination district but also that we're creating contributing members of society and I think we do that really well and Abby has a phenomenal group of math teachers over there.
Speaker 1They do a great job. Wow, that's a great shout out Teamwork. You are lifting up your teachers at multiple schools. We are CCSD and so I love how the two of you just modeled that Abby. What else would you like to add? You know specific to mathematics and how we're moving forward as the destination district.
Speaker 9I believe that math, as Dr Welsh said, is a huge predictor of future success, and so the skills of math are transferable to so many other areas the reasoning skills that they build in middle school. It's so important that they master those in order to hopefully transition into some of our amazing CTAs or other offerings across the district and then into post-secondary education.
Speaker 1I mean plumbers use math too right, I mean they have to. I want them to use math when they're fixing my sink at home.
Speaker 9You know, our motto at Fremont is anomnia paratus, which means prepared for all things. My goal is we have just these three short years with our kids to prepare and launch them, and it's so critically important that when I push, when they move forward, that they're prepared and competitive and that they see themselves on that playing field and that they have all of the skills and tools necessary to navigate and find their path through whatever door they choose to pass.
Speaker 1Well, thank you, I can't believe our time has already passed. Passing period goes fast. I remember you know high school and now it's going fast here. Greg Abby, jesse, thank you so much for joining me this morning and talking about mathematics and making sure that our students are successful. Thank you so much.
Speaker 10Thank you.
Student Voice and Workforce Readiness
Speaker 1If you know anything about me, you know how important student voice is, and we have the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, which meets once a month with two representatives from every high school to discuss topics that they are passionate about. They speak to department heads to learn more about CCSD operations and procedures, to learn more about CCSD operations and procedures, and at the end of the school year they take all of their body of work and they present to the school board trustees to make suggestions for ways that CCSD can engage with our students. So one of the suggestions from last year's council was a monthly podcast, and I am so happy to be joined by two of those students who are returning members of the council. We have Selena Hamilton, who is from the Southwest CTA, and Layla Driscoll from Rancho High School. Go Rams, woo yes, we're allowed to say woo and to speak about workforce and college readiness. Gia Moore, who is our assistant superintendent of college and career readiness and school choice division. Such a long title there, gia. How did you earn that title?
Speaker 11I get to oversee some amazing programs in the district that benefit our students.
Speaker 1Well, we have over 70,000 students that have participated in CTE programs. Students that have participated in CTE programs. How does the district, how do we, make sure that we stay agile to meet the needs of workforce and to make sure that our students thrive Well.
Speaker 11Thank you so much for the question and so great to be here. I think it's very simple. We have to be connected. So we have to be connected to our economic development groups, our workforce partners. We have to remain agile because we are preparing students sometimes for jobs that don't even yet exist yet, and so we, in our connection with our business partners, we ensure that our programs are aligned with our high skill, high demand workforce needs with the state, and then we work with the schools to make sure that the students are aligned in those programs so that that will benefit them once they graduate from us.
Speaker 1And I believe you have a young person in your life.
Speaker 11I do. I have a six-year-old.
Speaker 1He just started first grade and do you think about workforce and what it's going to be like when he grows up?
Speaker 11I do, and you know right now I'm so excited because he wants to be an engineer and he's very much into robotics and Legos and so I know that his schooling kind of inspired that and I'm sure that he will continue down that road and we'll see what he does. It's exciting.
Speaker 1Layla and Selena. Both of you are attending amazing schools. When you think about your future and the pathway that you want to travel, what do you think about? What classes are you engaged in? What's going on in your lives?
Speaker 10So I'm in the medical magnet program at Rancho so there's many opportunities Like I have been able to entertain the thought of being a physical therapist, a nurse, pharmacist. They also have many AP programs so I've been especially interested in psych so I've been able to take like AP, psychology, dual enrollment, psychology stuff like that.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm in the dental science program at Southwest Tech and it genuinely has opened up so many doors and I've been able to like see what the dental program is. We've had people come in and show us the path of dentistry and it really like emphasizes how compassionate that field is and I'm really excited to explore it and see what else where we can go with there.
Speaker 1Layla, I absolutely love the fact that you had mentioned multiple pathways for you. I mean, you're in the medical pathway but you see yourself in having multiple jobs. Do you think that once you graduate that you'll actually have all of those jobs going out into the workforce? Or or do you think, like when I was growing up 30 years, I mean, you know we spend 30 years in one job. How about you?
Speaker 10well, I think that I'll definitely because of Rancho, the way they work, I'll definitely have the background to support if I want to go into any of them. But I think once I go into college I'll probably pick one of those paths and stick with it. It's okay.
Speaker 2Having a dental class and be able to work in labs and stuff has definitely opened up that door. I really am considering going into dentistry and becoming like a general dentist right now and yeah, I think school has definitely prepared me and like gave me an opportunity to see what it's really like. Just in case I didn't like it, I was able to, I could be like, I could switch.
Speaker 1Yeah, no, absolutely. So, for full transparency. My son actually was in the dental program and she is nodding her head and he did the internship and said mom, I'm not going to be a dentist. So that's as wonderful that we in high school, you all, can experiment right and then make the determination to the job component. So with student, with the student advisory council, we just have a little bit of time left. What are some of the goals for this year?
Speaker 10We haven't actually like met yet like officially for this year so.
Speaker 1So, if you could have what you want, what would you have, what? What would you like to see then at the end of the year?
Speaker 10I think I would like to focus on college and career readiness, because I think that's very important, possibly like teacher support, ctes, stuff like that.
Speaker 2Yeah, I agree. I would say like having just that community involvement is really important and making sure parents are involved and interested in their children's life and, like us, supporting that and making sure that we're all in this together because it's a family effort.
Speaker 1It is a family effort. We talk about being the we district right it's all of us together, All of us together. So, Gia, listening to our amazing students this morning rounding us out, when you think of the vision of a destination district and the work that you do, how are we going to incorporate and make sure that these amazing humans are successful?
Speaker 11I was just going to mention that as a destination district, I think what's entailed in that is making sure that we are providing our students with those opportunities and experiences to explore, to grow to their strengths, talents and abilities, but to also make sure that their courses and our offerings are aligned to those goals. So, whether it's college career service, we need to make sure that we are meeting our students' needs.
Speaker 1Yeah, I agree, wholeheartedly agree with you. Whether they go directly into the workforce, go into college, military, they're all options that we want to make sure that you're prepared for. I am just tickled pink to have this be our first show and that you are all here this morning. Selena Layla Gia, it has been a wonderful morning. I am energized to go into the weekend and this won't be the first time. I look forward to all of the meetings that we're going to have together this year and with your colleagues as well.
Speaker 11Thank you for being here, thank you, thank you for having us.
Call to Action: Making CCSD Destination District
Speaker 1We know many of our students face enormous challenges and will need to learn how to overcome adversity throughout their lives. We, as the destination district, can help them prepare for those challenges and ensure that they thrive. We can better empower our educators, giving them the freedom, tools and trust to bring creativity and passion into every classroom. As we move forward together as a team, I hope you feel empowered by the voices you heard today to be our strongest advocates in our own community. We can better engage our community, making sure our many stakeholders feel heard, included and inspired by what's happening in our schools. And we can better help our students explore this rapidly changing world by reimagining what education can be and should be. Together, we will redefine what's possible for our kids in CCSD. We'll do that by engaging, empowering and exploring. This is more than a strategy. It's a call to action. It's all hands on deck. Together, let's make CCSD the destination district. For more information on the 100-day plan, please visit CCSDnet and thank you for listening.