LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Clark County School District held a community Dream Session at Foothill High School Tuesday, bringing together representatives from across the district as part of an ongoing strategic planning process.
Jeanine Collins, who worked with Center for the Future of Learning team to set up these sessions, said they are designed to give the community a role in shaping the district’s direction.
“The purpose of the Dream Sessions is to create a space in the strategic planning process where the community is able to come in and take stock of the conversation that has been happening so far,” Collins said.
Input drawn from thousands of surveys and multiple sessions
The planning process has drawn on 48,000 surveys, more than 60 percent of which were filled out by students.
Rancho High School senior Akilah Bello has attended several Dream Sessions. She said the conversations have extended beyond her peers.
“I haven’t just been talking with students, I’ve been talking with educators, people who work for CCSD, people who have a more realistic take on how this innovation could actually look like in education,” Bello said.
Three themes driving the conversation
The district has organized community input around three main themes: environment, relationships and experiences.
Bello said she has advocated for more hands-on learning opportunities throughout the process.
“More field trips, more career-based opportunities, like going to career fairs and stuff,” Bello said. “I feel like that’s one of the biggest things for me, just pushing for much more connection to the real world.”
Attendance grows as sessions continue
Superintendent Jhone Ebert said turnout at the sessions has grown significantly over time.
“Our first few, I would say, were attended by maybe 50, 60 people. Last week we were at Dr. Child’s Eye West, over 300 people,” Ebert said.
Ebert also noted that community members without children in the district have been participating.
“We have people that don’t have children in the school district that are joining us, and they’re building out and thinking, what is the future?” Ebert said.
District explores extending learning beyond 180 days
Ebert said discussions have included how to extend learning opportunities beyond the standard 180-day school year — not by adding school days, but by rethinking how and when students learn.
“Everybody still wants to make sure, and I want to make sure, mathematics, science, reading, but it’s how our children learn and how we think about time,” Ebert said. “Not just the 180 days about schooling and learning, but it’s all year round. Our children are learning all year, so can we extend the year? Can we think differently about the time that we have in our classrooms?”
Community Dream Sessions are now complete. One additional session with district staff is scheduled for Wednesday.
The district plans to compile the feedback into a strategic plan by the end of the current school year, with a launch targeted for the 2026–2027 school year.
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