State-wide and county-wide, teachers await the end of a big educational budget scare. 20,000 teachers and educational staff across the State of California have received layoff notices. Among those laid off are some of our own beloved Carlsbad Unified teachers.
In our district alone, just over 150 teachers are in danger of losing their jobs for the coming school year as a part of the Annual Educational Budget. The budget outlines a multi-million dollar reduction of expenditures for the coming school year. The extensive cuts are going to require a complete revamp in the educational system in the State of California and may point to the economic trend for educational systems all around the country. As America fights through tough economic times, the educational community will continue to take heavy casualties.
The number of school districts with a budget deficit or simply breaking even is up, and therefore drastic measures are being taken to remedy the issue. In addition to the layoffs, supply budgets have been cut and the situation leaves teachers short on essentials such as paper. As the situation reaches a critical point, we as a community need to step back and consider the implications of a loss of educators and materials.
Students come to school to be instructed by trained professionals, and without the correct amount of staff, this may become an impossibility. The loss of teachers would cause some classes to swell over their already crowded size. How can we be expected to learn and receive instruction or help in a class of 40 or even 50? The logistics of it make no sense, without teachers, learning becomes impossible.
And even if we could learn without teachers, we have no supplies with which to work. Many teachers have been forced to cut printing of supplemental materials and worksheets for the rest of the school year due to the limited amount of paper left available. Teachers are foraging to find essential supplies until next year’s supply budget becomes available.
So, to recap we are in debt and short-staffed. Without money, classes, which are short on students, face the ax. The issue may leave students without the specialized electives to allow them to pursue their own personal fields of interests. Losing these classes could curb peoples career dreams and make the students’ path to their dream job rough. Large classes will swell even larger without smaller elective classes to relieve this pressure. It’s a multifaceted problem.
Ultimately, the solutions are few and far between. It looks like the teachers union will be forced to accept a pay reduction, as tax payers guard their wallets and attempt to weather their own financial storm. The teacher’s union may ask for certain benefits such as the implementation of more unpaid days off, but a maintaining of base salary.
Regardless, times are tough and the battle ahead is long and hard. The problem won’t just go away and the unions and the district will continue to flesh out the details of the settlements. Even though the solution is not forthcoming the community needs to be aware of the issues that confront our teachers. The education of our communities children is at stake.
