CCSD Decides To Pay Superindendent Jara To Resign Thursday

If you have watched a CCSD Board of Trustees meeting, you know they have been wild lately. Scandal, yelling, intrigue and backroom deals. It has all come to a head recently with embattled Clark County School District Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara and his decision to resign. His calling it quits comes with caveats, and educators and parents alike are watching carefully and making their voices heard.

Between expensive and fruitless travel to fancy destinations to find new teachers, to withholding video of arguably unconstitutional arrests at Durango High School, to overseeing a long and drawn out negotiation with the teacher's union, to allowing the district to appeal a $5000 settlement to a kid that had an embarrassing picture published in the school yearbook, to the death of Rancho High School student Jonathan Lewis. It seems like things are constantly in havoc during Jara's tenure, and that's before looking at slacking test scores. Needless to say, many in the community have been happy to see he'd go.

Unfortunately, Jara's offer to leave didn't come without a price tag attached. He requested an amendment to his contract to allow him to receive one year's salary and benefits, around half a million dollars, to step aside and let the district move on. At a Board of Trustees meeting earlier this month, the audience was packed with concerned parents and teachers who overwhelmingly were in favor of Jara leaving, but not in favor of paying him to do so.

The board narrowly denied Jara's request. On Thursday, February 22nd, the board once again convenes to discuss another plan of action. The haggle officially begins. Instead of a year's salary and benefits, the board will decide if they will approve half a year's salary and benefits: $250,000. If it goes through, his last day on the job will be this Friday.

There are some that want to see him walk away from his contract, due to end in June 2026, without a penny. That appears to be unlikely to happen. If the board denies this motion, there is a chance it becomes a legal fight which could result in a potentially higher cost to the district.

All eyes are on the board meeting, which should be lively and live-streamed on YouTube.

The traditional bachelor's degree just isn't for everyone. In fact, there are a big group of people who opt to skip the traditional college route and still make very good money. There are plenty of jobs out there that don't requite a four-year bachelor's degree but still make $100K or more per year. No, it's not too good to be true. Let's get into some of these high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.

Before we get into those high-paying jobs, let's talk about how to land your dream job. Indeed.com has a great checklist of things to do when you're on the job hunt. One major thing is to create a good resume. They suggest to tailor that resume to every job to which you're applying, so that it fits the job perfectly. Make one "master" copy of your resume, and then use that as a template to create special resumes for each of the jobs for which you're applying. So, how do you tailer for resume? "When deciding what to include in your resume, choose actionable items that would capture an employer's interest," they suggest. "Along with including qualitative results in your work experience section, you can also add in some quantifiable data." They also say that numbers and statistics and numbers look good on a resume, so include those.

FlexJobs.com suggests to "research companies, rather than jobs." They say to "pursue companies that mirror your values to narrow your search, and to, "seek out organizations with a strong culture fit and a mission that aligns with yours." That's a great tip so that you're finding a company with the same values and ethics that you possess. Of course, it doesn't hurt to look for actual jobs on search sites such as FlexJobs.com and Indeed.com, too. Keep an eye out for opening at your desired company that pop up.

Now, let's get into some high-paying jobs that pay over $100K without a degree.

Careerkarma.com has Technology Sales Manager listed as the job without a college degree that makes the most money. Average salary is $161,920. Sound good, right? Minimum job requirements are, "Experience as a sales representative and a high-school diploma."

Another high-paying job without a degree, according to Careerkarma.com, is a Computer and Information Systems Manager. They make an average of $159,010 a year. You need computer science knowledge and 5 to 10 years of management experience, they state.

Here's an interesting one. A fire chief is on Indeed's list of high-paying jobs without a degree. They state, "Fire chiefs are responsible for overseeing and managing fire departments, which involves supervising personnel, developing budgets and planning emergency responses." National average salary is $105,287 per year.

Another job on Indeed list of high-paying jobs without a degree is Product Manager. So, what is that? "They may develop and implement the large and small business strategies that fuel the product development process and manage the launch of the product's features," they explain.

This is a really interesting one: Professional Sports Referee. The top salary per year is $210,000. But, they can make as little as $21,000 per year, too, as that's the average salary. So, you have to get a bigger gig to make more than 100K for this job. This is according to Resumeviking.com. They state, "No academic background is necessary, apart from obtaining a referee certification in the sport you want to referee. The stakes are high, but so is the return if you have the nerves for putting it all out there with no guarantees of ever gaining enough recognition to join in on this multi-billion-dollar industry!"

The national salary for a Senior Real Estate Manager is $133,076 per year," according to Indeed. They state, "Senior real estate managers oversee the daily operations of a property like an apartment complex or commercial building. They typically manage maintenance teams, ensure tenants pay rent on time and fill vacancies." They suggest to "gain experience in entry-level positions and work your way up to this job."

A Court Reporter makes an average salary of $103,270, according to Careerkarma.com. The job is to take notes on legal proceedings in court. "To land a court reporter job with no degree, you’ll need to take the exam for Registered Professional Reporter certification," they note. "This requires good listening skills, the ability to type quickly, and some knowledge of common legal terms."

Executive Assistant is No. 1 on US News and World Report's list of the highest-paying jobs without a degree. "Executive assistants support high-level executives in public offices and private companies," they state. "They may manage the executive’s schedule, make travel arrangements, prioritize the executive’s emails, and sometimes act as a receptionist or gatekeeper, serving as the liaison between the executive and anyone who wishes to meet with them."