In an industry that has historically been considered mostly recession-proof, the current economic slowdown is taking its toll. Pink slip deadlines are looming at many school districts across the country, where administrators are suddenly faced with the unthinkable task of laying off teachers in the classroom. Severe state budget cuts have forced the hands of many school officials, who are warning parents, students and staff, that the pain of the reductions could be felt across the board. We'll take a look at a few of the districts in the nation that are dealing with the pink slip quandary this year.
Rhode Island Offering Pink Slips to All
Rhode Island may be one of the most dramatic examples of the results of state budget cuts. According to a report in the Providence Journal, Providence had a $57 million shortfall in their budget last year, and they expect the deficit to go even higher this year. The city is planning to pass out pink slips to every single teacher this month, in preparation for the expected layoffs that are to come. Because school officials aren't sure how many staff members will have to be let go, they have decided to issue pink slips to everyone who might find themselves on the chopping block at some point.
This video reports that Rhode Island schools are planning teacher layoffs.
Providence's superintendent Tom Brady told The Providence Journal, "Since the full extent of the potential cuts to the school budget have yet to be determined, issuing a dismissal letter to all the teachers was necessary to give the mayor, the school board and the district maximum flexibility to consider every cost-savings option, including reductions in staff." Brady added, "This action gives the school board the right to dismiss teachers as necessary, but not all teachers will actually be dismissed at the end of the school year."
Teachers in Rhode Island are not comforted by that news, and the president of the Providence Teachers' Union, Steve Smith, called the move "insane."
Wisconsin Threatening Impending Layoffs
Teachers in areas of Wisconsin are currently protesting the proposed budget cuts in their state since they fear their jobs might be on the line. According to a report at , teachers in Menasha, Wisconsin, braved the cold to protest the impending layoffs of city workers that the state is threatening. Andy Cross, a teacher in the area, told the news station that he has always felt his rights were protected, but lately, he has become less sure of his job security.
"Traditionally, Appleton has strongly supported its teachers. I've always felt good about the board and being supported, but with these new rules being passed, you can't help but wonder," Cross said.
This video describes how declines in the number of young people entering the profession combined with high attrition rates have created new challenges for school leaders looking to build a strong teaching staff in Wisconsin school districts.
The governor of Wisconsin has stated that layoffs may be coming if his budget repair bill is not passed soon. If school districts do not receive any budget relief, staff cuts could be the only option. Mari Nelson, a teacher in the same district, told NBC26, "It's nervous at any time, to anybody no matter their seniority or their years there, so yeah, it's very worrisome."
California School Districts in Financial Bind
In California, numerous school districts will be facing severe cuts to their budgets if Governor Jerry Brown does not receive the extension of state taxes for which he hopes. Those budget cuts may mean more than 40 pink slips could go out to staff and teachers of the district's schools. District officials have proposed numerous cuts to their staff and services, in preparation for the funding reductions they could potentially face.
Superintendent Jeff Baier told the , "What we are doing tonight is leading up to a legal deadline. We need to guard ourselves as a district financially with a worst-case scenario. That is going to involve everything on the list preliminarily."
This video from 2013 recounts how the number of teachers laid off from California schools is down dramatically from prior years.
According to a report in the , the Capistrano Unified School District "regrettably" authorized the layoffs of 346 faculty and staff throughout their district. The list includes teachers, psychologists, and counselors. All of the staff receiving pink slips has proper teaching credentials, and many had been working on a permanent basis for the school district in the past. At the time of the authorization, all were working on a temporary basis.
Elk Grove is another California town feeling the financial pinch. According to a report at the , the Elk Grove Unified School District decided in a February meeting to notify more than 900 school employees that they could be laid off this spring. The meeting came on the heels of concerns that the school district could lose as much as $40 million in state funding for the upcoming school year.
Layoffs in Elk Grove could include 658 full-time positions, including around 300 classroom teachers. Tom Gardner, president of the Elk Grove Association, told meeting participants that some of the proposed cuts in the school district could violate the terms of the union's contract with the district.
"We realize the reality of the state finances, but this does not give the district the right to totally disregard our collective bargaining and those concessions," Gardner said.
Many of the impending layoffs across the country could become a reality by spring. If states don't find a way to balance their budgets soon, public education throughout the nation could feel the pinch in many more painful ways than the budget cuts they have already suffered.
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