Teacher layoffs, how are you coping?

[fortyfeetunder]

I am fighting tears as I think of the upcoming layoffs in my school district. There is one teacher who worked magic in the first year, and won a teacher of the year award.

Unfortunately, this teacher was one of the last hired, so I think is vulnerable to layoff per the seniority clause in their contract. I am just sick about this as I know this school needed this teacher and she does a fantastic job with the kids.

But I wanted to know in the DU community how teachers and their colleagues are coping with this. I have the highest admiration and respect for teachers and am concerned about how students and their families will adjust when they lose teachers.

[DrDan]

1. teacher layoffs, cutbck or elimination of after-school programs, 4 day schedules

more money for war, bailouts for wall-street and failing corporations, cut taxes

There is something seriously wrong with this country. Something that is going to have a devastating impact for generations to come.

[LWolf]

2. 4 day schedules.

Loss of all PE and music teachers at all elementary and K-8 schools. RIFs headed our way; we'll know May 20th.

So far, we've got two strong people who are not on our staff list for next year. Instead, we've got openings for "new" staff, which means staff with more seniority transferred when their jobs were cut.

Meanwhile, the 8 teachers that moved out of the classroom to become data crunchers, visiting schools, meeting with teachers to crunch test scores and plan specific actions to raise them? They have no student contact, but they keep their jobs while people who actually work with students are riffed.

The 4 day work week and the loss of pe and music teachers mean that I'll have a 10 hour contractual day next year, lose my planning period, plus add pe and music to what I teach.

There will be a pay cut on top of that; another 2.5-5%. We may not know exactly how much until September.

We already took a pay cut this year to keep the doors open until June.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Senority is not an appropriate metric for job retention or pay in education

That kind of seniority based structure is a relic of industrial and manufacturing and has no place in education. It actually hurts in the long run

[LWolf]

5. I disagree.

I think experience is crucial, and I think it's essential to honor seniority when job cuts are made.

I make more professional decisions every day based on what I've learned from my years on the job than I ever have based on other factors.

Hey, PP...I worked in education in the California high desert for 22 years before moving out of state 4 years ago. :hi:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. I disagree that seniority ALWAYS increases ability and knowledge

We have all had colleagues with 20 years on the job that have really 1 year of experience repeated 20 times. I also think that the industrial worker model has really held back educators and education.

So far I see myself remaining here. I live in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors and love it. If the taxes get much crazier, I might look to AZ or NM, or even NV, but my current homestead is really just this side of heaven.

[LWolf]

9. I have seen those teachers.

I've always believed that a dysfunctional system "developed" them, rather than that they came that way. ;)

There are plenty of things about the system that need to change. I just don't see the salary scale, other than it's inadequacy in relation to the amount of education, tests, etc. required, as a source of the dysfunction.

I also lived fairly isolated when I lived in the high desert. I remember being really angry when someone built a house across the dirt road from me, because I had to start closing the curtain in the shower for privacy, lol.

[noamnety]

4. I took a pay cut this year

Maybe a third or half our teachers did (along with hours cut). For me, it's not bad - I'm in a two-income house. For those who were single or the sole wage earner - or their partners were laid off from other jobs due to the economy, I'm not sure how they are making it. With the pay cuts came losses in health coverage for those who didn't have coverage through their partners, since we officially became part-time staff.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Sounds like you don't have a union

and you need one.

[noamnety]

8. That's true, but I doubt it would have solved the budget problems.

Even in districts with unions, people are getting laid off. They handled it in our district by cutting hours (hence the pay cut - technically laid off to part-time), rather than completely laying off some of the staff 100%.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Our union did some research

Districts and charters without unions took bigger hits and were more likely to impose pay cuts than those with unions.

One thing we have as union members is a voice in the state capitol. Our lobbyists are there every day fighting for our kids and our budget. And we have a voice in DC as well.

Teachers and kids are better off in schools with a strong union presence. That's one reason a lot of teachers I know (including myself) are not teaching in charter schools. They desperately need to be organized.

[musical_soul]

11. I think it's sad.

I think it's sad because kids need more teachers. There already isn't enough help
in the classrooms. Thirty students for one teacher is too much, and here many schools want to let
go of teacher assistants.

I do also think that teaching jobs are still out there. They may be in the areas in which many do not want to teach in
(meaning one might have to relocate), but they are there.