LA school board approves notifying 8,800 employees of impending layoffs for next school year

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 8,800 teachers and other employees of the nation's second-largest school district will receive notices of impending layoffs for the next school year, Los Angeles school board members decided Tuesday.

The district, with 688,000 students, faces a $718 million budget shortfall.

Layoff notices will go out by March 15 and the actual number to be laid off will be determined no later than June 30.

A raucous group of nearly 50 teachers and a few parents disrupted the board meeting. The group announced it was staging an act of civil disobedience and came prepared to be taken away in handcuffs. Some had previously volunteered to be arrested.


However, district officials made no move to carry out arrests and the group abandoned its effort.

"We got our message across. We made the best of it. We'll move on from here," said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.

Teachers said layoffs will increase classroom sizes, get rid of some of the younger, more energetic teachers due to seniority rules, and eliminate innovative programs.

"As it is, it's a struggle to reach every one of my students," said Gilliam Russom, a history teacher at Roosevelt High School.


More at:

http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-la-schools,0,2289545.story


I wonder.... is "The Governator" gonna "Outsource" this?...