And this is a school district whose test scores have "soared". They have also taken in 128 Haitian earthquake refugee students without receiving any reimbursement. And while Congress is about to approve 33 billion more dollars for Afghanistan fighting, THIS is how we honor students and teachers in America.
======
Layoff notices have been sent out to 430 teachers -- one third of the city's teaching staff.
Parent Kimberly McGuinness says, "The teachers are good. And are here for these kids very much." "It is a travesty. It really is a travesty," says another parent, Tracy Jones. "If you're not going to invest in your children, what are you going to invest in?"...
And it's compounded by another issue -- Brockton is educating 128 Haitian earthquake refugees who now live in the city, at a cost of more than one million dollars a year, and is not being reimbursed for it.
The teacher layoffs will mean larger class sizes, program cuts, and potentially, the closing of the Raymond School. Students and parents are trying to save the school.
Wiith so many of those teachers being cut across the city, parents like Jones worry about the quality of their child's education.
"You can't tell me if my daughter's in a class with 40 other kids, she's going to get the attention she needs."
The superintendent agrees, the cuts will have a detrimental effect.
He says this is a hard lesson on education and funding in America.
"As a country, the greatest promise of democracy is a free public education and it has a cost. And we either pony up and pay that price, or we are going to continue to become a second-class nation. And it's unfortunate." http://www.necn.com/05/14/10/430-teachers-get-pink-slips-in-Brockton-/landing_newengland.html?blockID=235073&feedID=4206