Was there ever any question wrote on May 3, 2008 9:31 PM:This seems to be the regular pattern. Of course, since the Unions have put in a clause that requires the Districts to give notice to a teacher by 15 March that they might not be called back in the following year, Districts are forced to send out large numbers of Pink Slips if there is even a hint that they might need to cut a few positions. In any other industry you are lucky to get two weeks’ notice, and as CA is an "At Will" state you can be let go "at will" without any notice at all! If times get rough in any other industry people are cut, especially if the demand for their services are dropping, or if economies of scale can be realized by having employees do a bit more work. It may be tough to handle 25 students, but statistically speaking there is no significant difference between grades of classes containing 30 students and those containing 25 students, or even 20 students. You still find the average curves of As, Bs, Cs, Ds, and Fs. So, why should the taxpayer be forced to accommodate class sizes that are showing little or no significant improvement of grades? By the way, there are other ways to deal with the poor performer as opposed to "main streaming" them into regular classes. Even when you drop to 20 students in a classroom, if you put in one poor performer you will find the teacher must spend as much as 25% to 30% of their time with that one student, taking them away from the rest of the students. No, the Unions have not done teachers, students or parents any favors by manipulating what Districts can do with personnel and manning levels. They have caused most of the problems we see today in our public education system. A System that as recent as 30 years ago was the envy of the Nation and is now the laughing stock of the Nation. Return Public Schools to PUBLIC Control and you will see significant improvements.

Mary wrote on May 4, 2008 8:01 AM:Years ago my son had a young newly graduated second grade teacher. She assessed that many in the class could not read so she kept each kid in turn after school and within three weeks they were all reading at grade level. By the end of the year when they they took the standardized test they did so well that the school district thought the test was not give properly so they made the whole class take it over and got the same result. This is the type of energy, skill and enthusiasm we will loose with these layoffs. I read somewhere that 30 percent of high students in America drop out because they can not relate to the college-prep curriculumn. We also need to offer more vocational classes. Maybe we need a proposition to break the seniority clause of teachers unions.

Reardon wrote on May 4, 2008 10:31 AM:Happens every time -- scare the populace that their favorite teachers are going to get fired, then demand higher taxes to save them, then take the firings off the table. But it is a timing issue -- and this time the economy will not support higher taxes, so the firings get taken off the table early.

Only the students got exercised, and the taxpayers said, "Ho Hum! Teachers having problems -- heck they are the best paid in the nation, and we are all having problems."

Good lesson in reality for the students.

Umm.. wrote on May 4, 2008 10:43 AM:"begin to bring back"? did the ever go anywhere?

No.

Get some better headline editors.

PublicSchool- wrote on May 4, 2008 11:26 AM:Why is the teacher in the picture wearing work pants? Is this the way to set an example to the students? Sorry, but when I went to school it was white shirts and ties for the students and the teachers wore business attire. How to dress for sucess in the business world should be part of the learning process. WE also were taught manners and and proper deportment. Public School 194, Brooklyn, Ny--1948.

John wrote on May 4, 2008 12:43 PM:It was mostly a publicity stunt. Sending the potential layoff notices to thousands of teachers was meant to scare families into begging for tax hikes—it did not work.

As long as LAUSD spends $630 million on building two high schools, losing $400 million in computers, they hire TWO Superintendents, it is obvious that schools have more than enough money. The failed schools will not get better by throwing money at them like balls in a batting cage.

Now, those layoff notices are being rescinded, with more to come.

Those running the schools seem more like two bit scam artists, sending those notices was not honest—and they knew it.

Shame on us if we give in to the emotional blackmail of those who fail our children.

Get angry or get poor.

Cried Wolf wrote on May 4, 2008 3:22 PM:Everytime the "budget" crisis comes along the big scare of layoffs. This pattern of scare tactics works, that why it happens every time. School districts have the money but they always want more. The waste in schools is huge.

Class size wrote on May 4, 2008 4:49 PM:All the research shows improved scores for class size reductio, check education week and the DOE stats. The ideally class size is between 20-25...therefore there would not be a drastci difference in test scores. Most classes above 3rd grade have 30-35 students, that is too much. Some elective and PE teachers have as many as 50 in a class

this is for real people wrote on May 4, 2008 5:51 PM:Vista brought their teachers back due to mistakes made with their seniority list. What's cheaper, bringing them back or a major lawsuit and fines? Only a FEW teachers have been brought back in other districts, and yet people continue to call this a hoax and a joke. The fact is MANY teachers this time will still be laid off come next year. And REARDON- no one cares what your opinion is, you are misled, misguided, misinformed, and you need to stay off the commentaries.

Two birds with one stone wrote on May 4, 2008 6:33 PM:If they legalized prostitution the tax dollars would more than cover the costs for additional teachers & it would get the hookers off the streets

So sad... wrote on May 4, 2008 7:21 PM:I'm sad to read so many people that essentially are not supporting our teachers. There is NOTHING more important than our children and we need highly qualified educators to teach them...the more the better so our kids get more one on one attention! I would love if my son had less kids in his class for him to compete with for attention!

We do not have the highest paid teachers in the nation when compared with the cost of living. AND California currently is ranked 46th in their spending per child...if the Gov. budget cuts are approved then we will fall to 48th! We should be spending more per child! I'd much rather see my taxes go towards guaranteeing a successful future for our children (and essentially for ourselves) than towards prisons! (jsut an example) If it means raising my taxes, I'm all for it. I'll do whatever it takes since education should be our number on priority.

And by the way, anyone who actually attends board meetings or looks up the info online would know, Districts DO NOT have enough money. Check out any board mtg notes and you'd see that. In fact, the San Marcos Unified website has all sorts of stats in regards to the budget cuts. Check it out at www.smusd.org

I'm glad that some teachers are coming back...districts are not "crying wolf"...they had to cut 10% of their budgets this year! That's huge! Imagine cutting 10% of your income and see how your household would run! Hopefully Schwarzenegger will realize that education is an investment not an expense...and rescind some of the cuts he proposed.

the disabled are invisible children wrote on May 5, 2008 6:54 AM:Yes VUSD found an ingenious way to “cut back,” lets see they cut back special education and student support services for the disabled. Therapists, counselors… The North County Times like most media and journalist don’t like to mention the words “disabled” or “special education.” I think it is like denying the very existence of these children; the disabled in this country are the equivalent of the children in Latin American countries, which throw out children into the streets and let them fend for themselves.

VUSD also cut back classroom supplies and non-classified positions that directly support students.

On the other hand they spend the bulk on teachers salaries and perks, while most of us pay co pays in increasingly higher premiums in healthcare costs. Well, they maintain the best packages public money can buy.


They also spend a whole lot on JPA’s premiums per student ADA in the state. Lets just say they spend millions on insuring themselves against our kids with our kids ADA does this make sense?

If we were to take the shortfall it will be the equivalent of the certified staff increase in salaries and healthcare benefits.

to So sad... wrote on May 5, 2008 5:25 PM:Sorry but you are the sad one. If you raise taxes that people cannot afford it will only make the economy worse and there would be even less money for your poor teachers. This state and the districts need to live within their means. over the past 6 plus years all the increases that districts have seen have gone to the teacher step and column raise as there cost of living raises that amounts to an average of 9%. With a $100 million dollar budget that amounts to $9 million per year and over 5 years its $45 million? You mentioned San Marcos Unified right? Wasn’t your budget about 100 million 5 years ago and now it’s about $145 million, hmm that’s interesting? The money that everybody is fighting the sate for will never touch the kids. And even if you get the money from the state you will still have to cut the newest and brightest teacher to keep the older and less effective happy.

You only care about catering to the Unions and don’t really give a damn about the students or even the teacher for that matter. Your rhetoric is so transparent that it sickens me. The sad thing is as long as you keep spewing it out people will continue to believe it. Wake up people!

an honest teacher wrote on May 5, 2008 9:53 PM:I read all of this with much amusement-take it from a 20 year veteran teacher with Vista Unified....it would be your lucky day to get a pink slip and "be forced" to find another job....one day you'd look back and find that destiny looked kindly upon you in the form of a lay-off notice in the Spring of 08.

to an honest teacher wrote on May 6, 2008 9:31 AM:This is not something you would hear from a fresh and eager Teacher. This is the kind of Teacher that will unfortunately not get a pink slip and continue on getting through the day while our kids suffer there apathy! This is the result of a Union that forces tenure onto our districts and our kids! This is the kind of Teacher that just wants as big a paycheck to boost her pension check. This is the kind of Teacher that should be laid off or better yet fired without his or her pension (but can’t be)! Shame on you, you need to make way for those that still care and quite!