City hires chief for LV’s downtown school program

Las Vegas Downtown Achieves, a city-funded education organization, has hired its first executive administrator.

City officials on Wednesday unveiled Michelle Layton, a former promotions director for KLAS-TV, Channel 8, as the organization’s first top executive.

Layton, who holds a bachelor’s degree in education, has served on Downtown Achieves’ teacher engagement committee for the past year.

She will make $75,000 annually plus benefits in her new post.

“I believe I was selected for the position because, in addition to my education and business background, I have built relationships with local small and large businesses, nonprofit organizations, CCSD, local museums, media and other community stakeholders,” Layton wrote in an email Wednesday. “… I feel I can make an impact sooner than someone without those relationships.”

City officials did not return requests for comment on whether they planned to open up other paid posts within the organization, which partners with Southern Nevada businesses, governments and nonprofit agencies dedicated to “ensuring academic success” for 12,500 children attending 11 schools in downtown Las Vegas.

Las Vegas spokeswoman Diana Paul said Layton’s position will be paid for mostly by the city, with some help from a grant provided by Wells Fargo.

Paul said Las Vegas has spent $200,000 on the public-private education initiative since its founding in 2013. City Council members last year approved $97,500 to help prop up unfunded teaching positions at downtown schools.

She said Layton will report to city leaders and the Downtown Achieves Leadership Council, a 14-member board comprised of representatives from 60 partner organizations, including Goodwill and the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.

Paul said a committee featuring executives from several of those organizations went through an extensive search process before settling on Layton as the top candidate for the job.

At first blush, it might seem that Downtown Achieves’ stated goal of “improving academic outcomes” at downtown schools wouldn’t sit well with the Clark County School District.

But Andre Long, one of the district’s assistant chief student achievement officers, said the organization has been nothing but helpful.

Long said the point of Downtown Achieves is to help the district better address out-of-school issues such as poverty and homelessness.

He’s sure Layton is the right choice to lead those efforts.

“I’m confident they made a good choice,” Long said of Layton’s appointment. “What (Downtown Achieves) provides is a group of folks who are looking at what (students) are not achieving, so schools can focus on teaching kids, as opposed to social issues.

“It’s early, we’re not there yet, but we’ve had a good beginning.”

Contact James DeHaven at jdehaven@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3839. Find him on Twitter:@JamesDeHaven.