Layoffs

[ctinct]

Unfortunately, many districts are in this position. They are threatening layoffs again in our town. One of the unfortunate side effects is that teachers are leaving mid-year if they can find another position. My daughter's high school has lost two teachers and one guidance counselor already. One was a much admired English teacher who went back to her old district. She had only been here a short time, but she was the dept. head and had started a very popular human rights course. Now there is no one to teach the course.

In the case of the guidance counselor, the counseling dept. was already overburdened; each counselor has well over the number of students they should have. Of course, it's worse now that all the former counselor's students have been reassigned. My daughter is a junior, so this is a critical time for college planning. I feel sorry for a lot of the kids who may be the first in their families to attend college and don't have a clue about what steps they should be taking now.

 

[creativeamanda]

The state legislature in SC is considering a 5 day furlough for teachers and support staff and 10 day furlough for administrators across the board. Even with those furloughs the district I work for is expecting to let go 36 employees this school year.

We have already turned in our letters of intent--a full month before normal--so I am expecting the school district to let us know early who is being let go and who is not.My teaching job is safe--I'm the only certified person in the district for persons with severe disabilities, but my summer/planning period administrative position is in jeopardy. I could see a cut of close to $5000 in my pay this year. In our current economy, that is not helpful--for my family, it will be the end of yearly vacations.

 

[mum4jenn]

I have heard talk that the legistlature will allow us to reduce student days next year. I expect most of the cuts to come from classified staff as they did this year. I'm not overly worried, I don't see how they could eliminate my position- particularly with the para cutbacks we've had. Of course, anything is possible. I e-mailed my process coordinator to ask her for a letter of recommendation, and she was asking me if I was still interested in transferring in district. The tone definitely made to it sound like it wasn't anything I shoudl be overly worried about.

As far as the union thing- we are not required to join. I only loosely consider the NEA a union anyway. Yes, they are our representatives to the school board, but I joined it more for the liability insurance than anything. The union certainly does not seem as strong as the one when I worked at Disney! There are two major unions in our district: NEA (national education association) which is a national organization, and the MSTA (Missouri State Teachers Association) which is state wide. You do not have to join either if you don't want to, but most do so that they can have the liability coverage.

I hope the classified people are able to voice their opinions on having to take the largest cuts when they are already the LOWEST paid. Many classified people are only at minimum wage or slightly higher and that STILL puts them below the POVERTY level. Everyone should take cuts from the highest paid on down. Shame on your district hurting only the lowest paid.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

I'm still waiting for a calendar for next year. The gen ed teachers are freaking out about next year. What they did before was just non-renew teachers rather than RIF. Easier for them. I teach special ed though so I'm hoping that will protect me but you do have teachers with more seniority taking classes/tests just so they don't have to move schools not because they have a sudden desire to teach special ed.