Who we Are
Clark County Education Association advances public education and the livelihood of educators. CCEA has grown into a significant political force in Nevada politics electing pro-education politicians and passing significant legislation that has changed Nevada’s education delivery system. We are the largest independent and fastest growing teachers’ union in the country.
CCEA's Historical Journey
Established in 1957 as Clark County Classroom Teachers Association (CCCTA), we led the way to pass a law granting collective bargaining rights for teachers in 1969 after staging the first teacher strike in Nevada.
We expanded our organization by including other licensed professionals into our ranks and we renamed ourselves the Clark County Education Association in 1997.
During this period, we were affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) and their state organization Nevada State Education Association (NSEA).
However, the affiliation with NEA/NSEA posed significant challenges for CCEA. We contributed 75% of members’ dues to both organizations and yet had no control over those funds. In addition, NSEA was and continues to this day to be a political organization that has been irrelevant in State politics. As a result of being affiliated with NEA/NSEA, CCEA members were losing politically in State politics and consequently hamstrung at the bargaining table with CCSD. Members demanded a change.
Accordingly, in 2018, CCEA was determined to win local control, and gained independence from the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA) and its parent organization, National Education Association (NEA) by voting overwhelmingly to disaffiliate from those organizations.
NEA/NSEA fought the next two years with CCEA in court. In the end, we were able to win our court battles and keep over $7.3 million dollars from NEA/NSEA. Today, CCEA is a thriving organization that continues to grow. We are the largest and fastest growing teachers’ union in the country.
Our members voted to become independent, and immediately raised their dues to levels that allowed us to become the powerful organization we are today. As a member-led organization, every dollar of members’ dues is used to advance CCEA’s interests. With autonomy comes responsibility. From salary advancements to significant legislative victories, every dollar has been put to work for improving licensed educators’ compensation and public K-12 education in Clark County School District and the State.
Improving Nevada's Public Education System
Historically, Nevada is a two industry economy that has undervalued an educated workforce. Consequently the state has long suffered from underfunding in K-12 public education, high educator turnover, overcrowded classrooms, safety issues and low student academic achievement. As a result, historically Nevada has ranked among the lowest in student funding in the nation. However, over the past two legislative sessions there have been important efforts to improve our public education system. Increasingly, there is a recognition among elected officials and business leaders that in order to diversify Nevada’s economy we have to have a better educated workforce.
CCEA believes that public education system is an integral part of the economy. To that end we see improving public education will enhance workforce development to grow Nevada’s economy. Accordingly, CCEA’s main political focus in Nevada politics is to improve public education funding along with strong accountability measures in place to improve student outcomes.
CCEA's Approach in State Politics
We do not engage in partisan politics. Nevada’s legislative process requires this kind of approach to get things done. Accordingly, we work in a bi-partisan fashion with state elected leaders to provide resources and support for frontline educators so we can be successful in improving student academic outcomes.
We put our focus and resources on making sure that we elect politicians who align with our agenda. That doesn’t mean someone has to be 100% in agreement with us. We find common ground on key issues that we are trying to advance in State politics.
In the 2018 election cycle CCEA was instrumental in getting the first Democrat elected governor in the state in over 20 years who committed in giving teachers a raise. In the 2019 Legislative Session AB309 was passed that had two significant provisions in it that CCEA advocated for: a 3% salary raise for teachers and the ability for ½ cent sales tax in Clark County for pre-k and adult education.
In 2019, CCEA worked with legislative leadership, the governor, stakeholders in business, industry and education to change how state dollars were allocated to students. Historically, funding was not based on need and equity and didn’t follow students into the classroom. The change from the ‘Nevada Plan’ to the Pupil Centered Funding Plan (PCFP) through Senate Bill 543, reformed a 50-year-old system of school funding. However, there was no additional funding for the new PCFP.
In the 2021 Nevada legislative session, CCEA worked on strengthening the PCFP and played the decisive role in the passage of the mining tax to fund education. This was a result of CCEA filing two initiative petitions to raise revenue from an increase in gaming tax and an increase in the local school support tax. As a compromise gaming, mining, business leaders and Legislative Leadership and the Governor agreed to pass a tax on mining and have ALL mining tax revenue go directly to public education. This was the first increase in funding for the PCFP and it was the first tax passed on the mining industry in over 100 years.
In the 2022 elections, a Republican Governor was elected that CCEA had a relationship with. The economy was rebounding from the downturn from the COVID pandemic and as a result revenues were at significantly high levels, setting the stage for a state budget surplus that led to the historic education funding we got in 2023. The Governor and Legislators passed an education budget that had over $2.5 billion dollars of additional funding. In addition, CCEA worked with the Majority Leader in the Senate to pass SB231 which provided another $250 million specifically for teachers’ raises. This was unprecedented.
As a result, our educators received: an 18 % salary increase over two years, 2% step increases, $5000 for SPED teachers, $5000 for teachers in high vacancy Title 1 schools, column advancements of $6700, and the restoration of a 1.875% PERs cut had taken, and significant increase for healthcare. We also passed two significant bills on school safety for frontline educators and students.
To address the persistent high teacher vacancy rates, CCEA worked with legislators in a bi-partisan capacity to establish the Teacher Academy College Pathway Program (TACPP) with the passage of AB428. This legislation provides students an opportunity to become licensed educators in CCSD without acquiring student debt, if a student successfully graduates and becomes a licensed educator in CCSD. CCEA’s strategic approach to creating this teacher pipeline is designed to grow our own teachers so that every student in every classroom has a highly qualified teacher.
It is important to note, that even with CCEA’s success in the Legislature, 2023 also required a contract campaign to force CCSD in bargaining to accept these results. Thousands of CCEA members mobilized at their schools, in the community with rallies and marches gaining support from parents, students and the community in our struggle for a fair contract. With this member led effort we were successful in our contract fight. But, we didn’t stop there. Early in January 2023, we led a campaign that called for the termination or resignation of the CCSD Superintendent for his failed and incompetent leadership. He resigned in February 2024.
Members Lead the Way
CCEA’s work has been successful because our members understand what’s at stake. We do not engage in meaningless and empty campaigns of slogans. We know that to get things done in State politics one has to be agnostic to partisan politics and work with both parties as well as both branches of government. That approach has allowed CCEA to be successfully in passing critical legislation in Nevada over the past several sessions.
CCEA members know that collective bargaining with CCSD starts in Carson City. Through our legislative gains each year, we are in a position to win for members in negotiations. In the end members’ unity and resolve have led to historic contract wins.
Licensed professionals represented by CCEA have witnessed that local control has given us the resources and autonomy to accomplish our successes. And in so doing so, this has enabled us to build the political power needed to win in Carson City and at the bargaining table.
Clark County Education Association is a strong political force because our members are ready to unite, mobilize and engage, to win for educators, students, and public education.
CCEA members have a saying, ‘when we organize, we win.’