Tis the Season for Teacher Layoffs

[babylonsister]

I think someone needs to inform Sen. Ensign STAT!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5008955&mesg_id=5008955

http://firedoglake.com/2009/02/08/tis-the-season-for-teacher-layoffs/

Tis the Season for Teacher Layoffs
By: Peterr Sunday February 8, 2009 7:00 am


February is hell for school administrators when times are bad. Under most teacher contracts, the district has to give notice in February or March or April if they do not intend to keep a given teacher for the following year, or if they are going to reassign a teacher to different duties or a different building.

This February, a lot of administrators are sending a lot of these notices.

I've been in meetings lately with administrators from a couple of local school districts, and each one tells the same story. Local property tax revenues are down, because assessed property valuations are down. State money has not just dried up but is being cut. School budgets are breaking this year, and next year looks worse. "We're cutting teachers -- mostly by attrition. We're cutting ancillary programs and staff, like librarians, counselors, social workers, and tutors. We're cutting administrative positions, support staff positions, field trips, and anything else we can think of, in order to keep as much money in the classroom as possible. We're looking at consolidating schools, closing buildings, and increasing class sizes. We're begging parents to volunteer to help in classrooms and businesses to donate whatever they can to keep our costs down. We're not cutting fat -- we're cutting meat."

And it's not just metropolitan Kansas City. It's Los Angeles CA, Merrill WI, Plano TX, Ocala FL, Butte MT, and Akron OH. Dallas bit the bullet hard last October. It's Lewiston ME, Iowa City IA, Atlanta GA, . . .

And on top of all this, the rise in home foreclosures means increased homelessness among families with children. When this happens, schools are required to help the kids stay in the same school with their same friends, regardless of where their homeless shelter may be. So transportation costs go up, the need for tutors and extra help goes up, . . . In metro DC it looks like this, and the local school administrators around Kansas City told me they are seeing the same thing here.

If you haven't heard news like this from your local school district, get ready. Tis the season, for everyone.

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. yep, it's happening in LA

[BlooInBloo]

2. Sigh.

[boobooday]

3. university professors too

scary times.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. All we'll have left is sports & overpaid athletes,

[Sancho]

5. Pinellas Florida (Clearwater/St. Pete/Largo is closing 5 schools...

and there will be a loss of personnel most likely.

[LWolf]

6. We're looking at cutting 10 days off THIS school year

to make up for mid-year budget cuts from the state.

We usually start getting information out to 8th graders about their choices for high school in February; while we have just one big high school, it offers 4 choices of smaller "school within a school" programs. We usually take them to visit, have students, teachers and admins visit us for information sessions, and start the process of deciding where they will go next year, and filling out the paperwork, in the spring.

Except that the high school has put all of that on hold, waiting for budget projections to see if any of those "small school" choices will even be available. Until they know what they are cutting, we're on hold. All we know is that there WILL be cuts.

This area will cut academic programs before sports programs. Academics are a necessary chore to be gotten through however you can, while sports is a religion. The district will cut AP courses before it will cut sports. Music, art, and vocational ed will take the biggest hits.

[Serial Mom]

7. School disctrict I work in is about to layoff too...

$2.5 million in the red at end of this school year, yet in today's newspaper, communities that attend our schools are 3 of the highest 7 taxed communities in our county!

They are looking to close 1 but more likely 2 schools. They will layoff teachers and admin assistants (funny, nobody at top is being let go).

I am union but 2nd from bottom in seniority and will probably lose my job even tho' it is only part time Admin Assistant. If they close 1 school, 3 Admin Assistant work there but only 2 will have choice of jobs at bottom of ladder (1 found another job already); if 2 school close then another 2 will have choice of my job. Doesn't look promising.

[dsc]

8. I work for one of the fastest growing school districts in the nation

and we have a hiring freeze. Ensign is a liar beyond belief.

[babylonsister]

9. Yes, he is, and I will be keeping that thought in my brain every time

I hear Ensign say anything. He is a rethug, so that explains a lot, but he was pretty bold today.