Dr. Carrie Buck

Candidate for State Senate, Educator, Philanthropist, Wife & Mom

By Brenda Damian

Senate Candidate and educator, Dr. Carrie Buck has come a long way since arriving to Las Vegas 25 years ago. The city was a much diferent place when she arrived. The city was expanding at a rapid pace and experiencing a burst in job opportunities in all industries, but especially in the feld of education. Living in a small town where there weren’t many teaching opportunities inspired Dr. Carrie Buck to begin seeking opportunities else-where. She soon discovered the massive need for Educators in Clark County and thus began her teaching journey in Nevada.

Dream to Teach

Prior to making her move to the state, Dr. Carrie Buck, who is originally from a small town in Iowa, found her love for teaching at a young age and recalls teaching her younger sister everything she learned in school. “When my sister and I were young, we would play school. I was always the teacher and I taught my little sister everything I learned in school that day. I dreamt of having my own classroom with my own students, so that was always a goal of mine”.

Dr. Carrie Buck went on to obtain her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Montana. Once graduated, she found there was a big lack in teaching opportunities in Montana and so began looking at other possibilities. She learned of the huge demand for education in Clark County and applied for a teaching opportunity and was accepted right away to teach 5 th Grade English as a second language. She taught 36 students in her frst year at Willie Elementary School.

Dr. Buck to the Rescue

In the middle of the 2005-06 school year, Carrie was made principal of Sewell Elementary; a school she described as “struggling.” In fact, the school was going through a “technical review” by the State of Nevada after being listed as a “Failing School.” Student attendance and discipline were huge problems. The frst thing Principal Buck did was change the school motto to “Kids First.”

She then gave the school a much-needed facelift and brightened the school with vibrant colors, landscaping, beautiful murals and a vegetable

“Las Vegas is a city of unlimited possibilities and hope!” Carrie Buck

Carrie Buck poses with her husband, Eric Buck, and their two boys.

garden. Additionally, she was able to secure over $3 million in grants and private funds to upgrade the classroom technology with modern, state-of-the-art equipment, including SMART boards, computers, laptops and projectors for every classroom. She also elevated her teaching staf with extra support and implemented rigorous performance evaluations. Through this, she created her full proof “Kids First” formula which consists of: 1) Strict but fair school discipline; kids can’t learn in an unruly classroom, 2) Setting high but achievable educational goals for both students and teachers, 3) Tutoring and other special assistance for struggling students, 4) Performance-based pay for teachers, 5) An opendoor policy for parents

The result of Dr. Buck’s “Kids First” formula, Sewell Elementary increased student achievement more than any other school in Henderson is shown as follows: English profciency jumped from 35%-81%, math profciency shot up from 36% to 90%, attendance increased to over 96%, and teacher turn-over dropped to less than 10%.

Carrie truly has a sound recipe for creating extraordinary results in education. In fact, she was awarded the “Milken Educator Award for Nevada” in 2008.

Nevada’s Education System

Being in education for 18 years, Dr. Carrie Buck knows frst-hand that Nevada’s education system doesn’t have the best reputation. The state has lagged in performance in comparison with other school systems across the nation. However, Dr. Carrie Buck has done her part in turning around low performing schools with the implementation of her “Kids First” formula. Additionally, Dr Carrie Buck believes that having the right leadership in the schools is a key performance driver.

As an educator in the Nevada school system, Dr. Carrie Buck ofers advice for parents that are concerned about sending their children in the city. She said, “Las Vegas has so many diferent opportunities and so many positive things going on in education. If you keep students at the center of your moral compass and what’s best for them, you will see that you can move mountains, and that’s really been my experience. There’s pockets of excellence and it really does come down to the leadership of

the school and building excellence and accountability into that model”. A true Love for Nevada

Growing up in small town has truly made Dr. Buck appreciate all that Las Vegas has to ofer. Carrie shares, “Vegas is place of hope and infnite possibilities!” She enjoys going to hockey games to cheer on the Vegas Golden Knights and seeing the strip from a distance. She has come to love the city and is heavily involved in giving back to the community to make it better. When asked the question of what she would do with unlimited funds in Vegas, she said she’d give to charities in the communities that she deeply cares about such as Three Square, The Scouts and various charities throughout the community.

Running for State Senate

Wanting to make a bigger impact, Dr. Carrie Buck has embarked on a higher goal to bring about a bigger change to the State of Nevada specifcally when it comes to the education system in our State. Dr. Carrie Buck said, “I wanted to run because I can remember thinking who are the people that are making up our legislature that puts and imposes diferent things on us at the school level. I’ve turned around schools and have moved the needle on accountability and I was sick and tired of Nevada being absolutely last in education. Why not elect somebody that has outcomes and proven results? Both the assembly and the state Senate and the governorship is not good for anyone. You need balanced government because that’s what keeps things in check. I’m running because I care about Nevada. It’s a tremendous sacrifce but, I’m hoping to be representing all of Nevada and bringing some balance up to the state Senate”.

In addition to education, Dr. Carries Buck believes that a strong economy is centered on strong businesses. She is a strong advocate for passing bills to bring more businesses to our economy to continue to provide opportunities for members of the community and keeping people employed. Dr. Carrie Buck has built things such as a parent outreach center where they provide job resource skills and help getting parents jobs. “I am defnitely pro-business and getting everyone to work is my motto,” said Dr. Carrie Buck.

Keeping Hope during Covid-19

Unfortunately, in this current environment the unemployment weekly claims are seeing its largest percentage jump at historical levels in the State because of the business closures. Dr. Carrie Buck has no doubt that the economy in Nevada will not only be rebuilt but will come back stronger. Having been in the State since 1995, she has seen the state in its good and its bad times and provides hope to all of us in the community saying, “Our only option is to bounce back and we will. Our country and our state is hurting now. I know that there’s many people that are hurting, but what gives me inspiration personally are all the health care

Dr. Carrie Buck reading to her students at Pinecrest Academy.

workers, frst responders, people out there helping to donate in the community or take groceries to the senior center. Whatever it is that you’re able to do. Even if it’s just a positive post on Facebook. We defnitely will overcome this. That is our spirit. That’s how we’ve done it before. Our country and our state will be better because of it.” LV

Contact: Dr. Carrie Buck Carriebuck@cox.net (702) 592-9740