300,000 teachers expected to be laid off.

Stimulus money may go into education to stop layoffs. 62% increase in clas size 34$ to end summer school, 20K in CA to be let go.

with the last round of stimulus money--thank goodness!

The last thing we need to do is sacrifice our future by trying to do education on the cheap.

a tough,yet very important,job.

inner city high-schoolers,and loves it,

Frustrating at times,yes,but at the end of the day quite rewarding.

Cutting 4.4% of the budget, compared to what many of the Taxpayers are enduring. Doesn't strike me as out of line. Highest avg salary for teachers by state, CT $57k in 2003/04 is shockingly low. And yet in my own experience municipal education budgets have been the fastest growing segment for decades.

so they can push their agenda down the throat of the kids. Just like they are starting in Texas. And they can't do it til they get rid of the honest teachers out there, who are really trying to teach.

Power in numbers!

if it doesn't, we'll be losing 18% of our district budget. That translates to 19 teachers in a small district and those that remain will be rewarded with a 4-6% paycut, loss of dental insurance, and few other benefits. We will be required to sub X number of days during our prep hours without pay instead of hiring substitutes. What can we do about it? Nothing. If we refuse to sign our contracts they'll hire someone else. What does the almighty teachers' union do? Roll over and play dead. The lack of concern by teachers is pathetic - I was asked not to send emails describing what was going on in the rest of the country and emails asking members to take action. I'm not sure whether they have their heads in the sand or are too afraid to do anything or are comfortable financially so they don't care.

It is pathetic on so many levels.

on edit: I didn't mention class size increases. English and math will have about 40 kids/class -- and yet they still need to pass the state test.

...you could work like me in a school that failed to make AYP, whose board chose the 'Turnaround' model, under which the principal is automatically fired, and teaching staff must reapply for their jobs -- and no more than half the staff can be rehired.

That 50% is so arbitrary! The turnaround model didn't work out as well as Arne promised in Chicago. Hasn't it been discredited? There has to be another way! Politicians shouldn't be involved in education - they generally know nothing about it.

...by rehiring only the youngest 50% of your staff -- no seniority protection in the re-hiring, it's not like people returning after a layoff -- hiring the rest from among the laid-off (and therefore low-seniority) teachers in other districts, and bingo! -- reduce your total wage bill by 30% or so.

And then cut taxes, or at least not raise them.

What's not to like if you're a school board member running for re-election?