Calif. Teacher Pink Slips Far Fewer than Last Year
By
Ben Adler
Friday, March 15, 2013
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Friday is the deadline for California school districts to issue teachers layoff notices for the academic year that starts in the fall – and there’s a huge drop-off in the number of pink slips this year. Updated with layoff numbers at local districts.
At this time last year, 20,000 of the state's K-12 teachers
received the bad news. This year, the California Teachers
Association says the number appears to be 2,500.
That's because of the state's recovering economy and the passage of
Proposition 30. And although "it's very nervous-making and
quite unsettling," says State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco),
layoff notices are sent "with the full hope that the pink slip will
not actually be realized."
California law requires districts to send out termination
notices by March 15th of each year. But that's months before
the state passes a budget, so districts play it safe by
overestimating their layoffs. Of last year's original 20,000
pink slips, districts pulled back all but 3,000 by August.
State Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) says that makes no sense. "So if we move that timeline to June 1st, the (governor's) May Revision of the budget has come out, schools can better make a decision based on facts - rather than on what might happen."
The non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office backs Huff's proposal. But Democrats and teachers unions have blocked similar bills in the past. They argue teachers need as much time as possible to find new jobs.
Sacramento-area school districts
State Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) says that makes no sense. "So if we move that timeline to June 1st, the (governor's) May Revision of the budget has come out, schools can better make a decision based on facts - rather than on what might happen."
The non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office backs Huff's proposal. But Democrats and teachers unions have blocked similar bills in the past. They argue teachers need as much time as possible to find new jobs.
Sacramento-area school districts
Among Sacramento-area districts, Sac City Unified has sent
pink slips to 118 teachers. That's down from more than 450
last year. Elk Grove Unified is sending layoff notices to 30
teachers - though the district says those layoffs are due to
factors other than budget cuts.
Natomas Unified has notified 10 teachers they might lose their
jobs. And at Twin Rivers, that number is 74.