Las Vegas educator honored for 50 years in teaching

Parents watched through smartphone cameras as dozens of grade-school children sat on the cafeteria floor for the end-of-year assembly at Cortez Elementary School.

Grade by grade, students were awarded for their efforts. Congratulatory slips of paper were given to students who demonstrated perfect attendance and made the honor roll.

But one honoree was a few years older than the others.

Chelita Clinkscale, 72, was honored for 50 years of teaching.

“We have some great teachers, but this teacher – amazing,” said assistant principal Alesia Romanov.

Clinkscale accepted the award and a bouquet of flowers that a student bought for her, then sat down with the rest of the staff, completely tuned in to the rest of the July 7 ceremony.

After several teachers had taken the stage to award their students, it was Clinkscale’s turn. As she stepped to the microphone, she told the room, “I’m very proud of my entire class.”

The mild-mannered teacher assured her students that she would keep up with them as they moved on to fourth grade.

“Once you’ve been in my class, you are a part of me,” she told the students.

Clinkscale said she sets the bar high for her students, pushing them to learn material that is at a grade level or two ahead. Jones announced at the assembly that Clinkscale’s students’ reading levels had increased by 2.3 years on average.

She said she uses her own enjoyment from the job to help her class succeed at a higher level.

“I just pass that on to them and show them how much fun education is and the kind of things you can do in education,” she said.

Belinda Jones, principal at Cortez, 4245 E. Tonopah Ave., said Clinkscale is well-respected among other teachers in the building.

“She is very dedicated,” Jones said. “She goes above and beyond for these students.”

Jones said teachers with decades of experience are better able to help students who might not get the necessary support from home.

“At that point they’re able to recognize some needs that the child might have that maybe aren’t all academic,” she said.

Clinkscale spent 34 years at the same school in Detroit teaching fourth- and fifth-graders. She moved to Las Vegas and has taught third-gradersat Cortez for 16 years.

She has no plans of stepping down from the profession.

“Once I accomplish all that I think I can, then it will be time to say goodbye,” she said.

She said the secret to success in the Clark County School District is challenging students to improve all the time.

“But also be in their corner and know that they’re having some problems,” she said. “That support system is very important, because a lot of times in the homes they don’t have that person there they can turn to.”

Contact View intern reporter Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow him on Twitter: @BlakeApgarLV.