Days after the chief financial officer for the San Diego Unified School District was quoted as saying the cash-strapped district had “hundreds of excess employees”, San Diego’s school superintendent apologized.

On Monday, SDUSD Superintendent Bill Kowba apologized for statements made by CFO Stan Dobbs in an interview that was published in full by voiceofsandiego Friday.

"His interview offered his own candid assessment of the financial condition of the district," Kowba wrote, "Unfortunately it also includes several factual errors and misstatements that need correction."

“The public needs to know that this district does not have hundreds of excess staff who are not serving our students,” Kowba said.

Read Kowba's full statement here

In talking with our media partner voiceofsandiego, Dobbs, who has been employed by the district for 60 days, discussed how he felt the district could better balance its budget.

He spoke about transparency and about providing budgets people could understand and follow where tax dollars go.

But, in giving specifics, Dobbs stepped on some toes.

Dobbs made several remarks that one board member said “insulted just about everyone in the district, at all levels.”

In the audio-taped interview, Dobbs told the news website that there are hundreds of excess employees – “everywhere” and no documented proof smaller class size improves learning.

Kowba addressed these points saying “ Stan is incorrect when he stated that there is no research about the importance of class sizes. On the contrary, there is a body of research
supporting smaller class sizes…”

Of Dobbs’ excess employees remark, Kowba wrote “I can only surmise that Stan was referring to our stated need to reduce staffing levels as part of our budget reduction strategy for 2013/14.”

Among the claims Dobbs made in the interview was that the average teacher salary was $92,000 a school year to which he added that it was “ridiculous” that employees do not contribute to the cost of benefits.

“Out of 14, almost 17,000 people, that you’re playing 100 percent of all their benefits, their spouses, their kids and anyone else put in there. In 2013, that’s ridiculous,” he told the voiceofsandiego.

Read the voiceofsandiego interview here

“I was surprised by some of the things that were said particularly this idea that San Diego has hundreds of employees it does not need,” said SDUSD President John Lee Evans.

Evans sought to clarify what he called misinformation. For example, he said the average teacher salary is $65-$70,0000 plus benefits.

While Evans would not say whether he felt the CFO acted irresponsibly, he did say employment issues are up to the superintendent.

“I will leave it up to him to make any comments about his employees and any actions he wants to take,” Evans said.

The president of the teachers union said the inaccuracies made teachers look greedy. He said Dobbs stopped by his office Monday to apologize for his comments.

As to what Dobbs has to say for himself, NBC 7 San Diego was told by the district he was not available for comment.

The week-long teachers’ strike in Chicago has drawn national attention because it affects 350,000 children and pits two Democratic forces against each other. But it also represents a broader struggle over education reform and union power, and the results could reverberate elsewhere.

If the Chicago Teachers Union wins enough concessions, then it’s a victory for the labor movement and a potential guide for similar battles underway in other parts of the country.

If Mayor Rahm Emanuel emerges with enough of his demands intact, then it’s another setback for labor and validates the push to impose stricter measures of teacher accountability.

“This is being looked at very carefully by school districts across the country,” said Kathleen Hirsman, who teaches education and labor law at the Loyola University School of Law. “There’s the issue of the diminishing strength of teachers unions and who is going to come out the winner. And how the Chicago Public Schools resolves this will be very instructive to other school districts now looking at implementation of state laws requiring teacher evaluation based on student performance.”

All over America, states and cities are trying to figure out how to respond to federal initiatives aimed at improving the public school system. They come down to a series of carrots and sticks. There’s money for districts that implement the Obama administration’s ideas on teacher evaluations and testing, and there’s the threat of closure or other sanctions for underperforming schools.

That challenge has resulted in elected officials trying to impose new standards for teachers, who resist having to give up control over their work.

“It comes down to who’s going to decide how kids are educated,” said James Wolfinger, an associate professor of history and education at DePaul University. “Who is the expert? Who should have the greatest voice?”

Chicago is just the latest of several big cities - including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Cleveland - where that tension has come to a head.

Illinois lawmakers have set a schedule to implement new teacher evaluation methods, and Chicago must start making those changes this year. Illinois also happens to be a state that allows teachers to strike.

That makes the four-day-old walkout, which has captivated the country and could impact the presidential election, an ideal opportunity for labor to show that it’s no pushover.

“This is a very important strike for the teachers union,” said Richard Kearney, a political scientist at North Carolina State University. “If they can come out of this thinking they’ve made up some ground, that should give some encouragement to teacher’s unions elsewhere who are facing similar situations.”

Then again, Emanuel could end up on top.

Or: each side will concede, ending the strike in a draw.

What then?

“Then the fight just goes on elsewhere,” Kearney said. “And none of this meant a great deal.”

UPDATE: Judge Holds Off Order to End Teacher Strike

The first Chicago teacher strike in 25 years entered its second week Monday, pushing students' earliest return to class to Wednesday.

Union delegates on Sunday deferred its vote to end the strike and asked for more time to review a proposed teachers' contract drafted last week by school officials and the Chicago Teachers Union. The decision prompted an angry Mayor Rahm Emanuel to file an injunction that could force the teachers back into class.

"I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union," Emanuel said in a statement. "This was a strike of choice and now a delay of choice that is wrong for our children."

The mayor instructed the city's top lawyer to work with Chicago Public Schools' general counsel to file an injunction Monday asking a judge to immediately end the strike, now in Day 6.

In a statement, Emanuel called the strike illegal and said there's no reason why teachers can't return to work while the rest of the contract is ironed out.

"This continued action by union leadership is illegal on two grounds," he said. "It is over issues that are deemed by state law to be non-strikable, and it endangers the health and safety of our children."

But union president Karen Lewis said the deal isn't sitting well with many of the teachers.

"Our members are not happy, and they want to have the opportunity to talk to their members," Lewis said. "They want to know is there still anything more they can get." 

The union delegates aren't scheduled to meet again until Tuesday, in part out of respect for for the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, which began at sundown Sunday.

"If the agreement is not good, if the members reject it and think it won't improve conditions in their schools and classrooms, then we want the board to listen to those concerns before we would go back to school," CTU chief of staff Jackson Potter told NBC Chicago Monday.

School board president David Vitale said Monday the two sides are done negotiating and CPS is waiting on the union.

"We've done as much as we know how to do," Vitale said. "We reached an agreement with their leadership, we think it's a good agreement. It's time for the teachers to get back in school."

Potter said it's worth the wait.

"People have to live for three years under the terms of this agreement, and so it has to be a good agreement, it has to reflect the concerns that we brought to the table all along."

NBC Chicago has an array of reporters and producers covering the Chicago teacher strike. Check our live blog for continuous coverage and updates throughout the strike.

Students applying to California State University schools will receive a letter cautioning them about the availability of spots for the 2013-2014 academic year, according to a report.

Applicants will be warned that some spots could be taken away if Proposition 30 does not pass in November, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Proposition 30 would raise the state sales tax by a quarter cent for four years and raise taxes on incomes over $250,000 for seven years to help close California's budget deficit.

The letter to prospective students would warn them about cuts to the education budget

"Because enrollment capacity is tied to the amount of available state funding, the campuses will be able to admit more applicants if Proposition 30 passes and fewer applicants if the proposition fails," a draft of a letter to CSU Monterey Bay applicants states in LA Times.

The letter will then include a link to Prop 30’s “Yes” and “No” campaigns.

Gov. Jerry Brown is campaigning hard for the initiative saying it’s the only way to avoid billions of dollars in cuts to schools and higher education.

"If Proposition 30 passes, you'll have more classes, and fewer classes will be cut," Brown told San Diego students in August.  "Prop 30 is asking the most blessed to pay a little bit more money."

CSU officials told LA Times that each university, including local state schools such as San Diego State University and California State University San Marcos, will send out their own version of the letter.

"We wanted to give students and parents some sense of context as to why we are [holding] applications until the end of November," CSU spokesperson Claudia Keith told LA Times. "We are not advocating one way or the other. We are just laying out the facts of what the budget is and what impact this will have on our budget."

A Cook County Circuit Court judge on Monday shot down a request to hold a same-day hearing for an injunction to immediately end Chicago's teacher strike.

During a short meeting, Judge Peter Flynn postponed the requested hearing until Wednesday, city law department spokesman Roderick Drew said. That comes after the Chicago Teachers Union's delegates are scheduled to meet and vote on a proposed contract.

Earlier in the day, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made good on promised legal action to try and end the city's first teachers strike in 25 years, instructing his corporate counsel and the attorney for Chicago Public Schools to file an injunction to get kids and teachers back in class.

"I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union," Emanuel said Sunday in a statement. "This was a strike of choice and now a delay of choice that is wrong for our children."

Emanuel added that the continued strike was illegal on two grounds: "It is over issues that are deemed by state law to be non-strikable, and it endangers the health and safety of our children."

Union delegates on Sunday deferred their vote to end the strike and asked for more time to review a proposed teachers' contract drafted last week by school officials and the Chicago Teachers Union.

"Our members are not happy, and they want to have the opportunity to talk to their members," union president Karen Lewis said. "They want to know is there still anything more they can get."

The union's chief of staff Jackson Potter told NBC Chicago that "if the agreement is not good, if the members reject it and think it won't improve conditions in their schools and classrooms, then we want the board to listen to those concerns before we would go back to school."

School board president David Vitale said Monday the two sides are done negotiating and CPS is waiting on the union.

"We've done as much as we know how to do," Vitale said. "We reached an agreement with their leadership, we think it's a good agreement. It's time for the teachers to get back in school."

Potter said it's worth the wait.

"People have to live for three years under the terms of this agreement, and so it has to be a good agreement, it has to reflect the concerns that we brought to the table all along."

Union delegates aren't scheduled to meet again until Tuesday out of respect for the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah, which began at sundown Sunday.

Emanuel has no scheduled events Monday.

More than 26,000 teachers and staff walked out last Monday, leaving more than 350,000 students unattended. For five days, thousands of teachers picketed outside schools and twice converged on the Board of Education headquarters downtown.

The strike follows months of slow, contentious negotiations over salary, health benefits and job security after the school board unanimously voted last year to cancel teachers' 4 percent pay hike in the final year of their contract.

It’s a math problem that needs solving every year at this time, but that doesn’t make sorting out class sizes any easier for the San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California.

The current education contract calls for a 24:1 student to teacher ratio for grades K through third and a 34:1 ratio for grades fourth through sixth.

District administrators are working with principals at schools where classes exceed those limits to move students and sometimes teachers.

“My son’s class has 27 or 28 students right now and they need less” said Doyle Elementary kindergarten mom Karen Smeltzer.

Servicing an area that includes many UCSD grad students, Doyle Elementary has a uniquely high number of young children -- they have seven kindergarten classes. The district said they’ll likely shuffle students from the larger classes to smaller classes to meet the agreed upon ratio.

Not all fixes are that easy. The district is also looking at creating “combo classes” between grade levels. Historically parents are not fond of combo classes for cases where certain grades have a higher number of students.

Another option, more favorable among parents, is adding another class to the school. The district says this option comes with its own budget and staffing challenges.

As fifth-grade mom Angel Gilpin found out, the class size “shell game” has some teachers starting the school year not knowing if they’ll stay with the same class.

“He told the students yesterday, which he also disclosed to us parents, that he has a two week window and within that two weeks he'll know if he gets to stay here,” Gilpin said.

The district used to take the first four weeks to arrive at their permanent staffing level, but now does it in half that time finishing up the changes by the second Friday of the school year.

Nearly 140 district employees, including all of the principals, are working to make sure elementary class sizes are at agreed upon levels.

San Diego students got a collective A+ from the state, as standardized test scores show yet another improvement from last year.

Results showed incremental increases for San Diego County Schools in all categories on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test, according to the results released Friday.

Click here for a breakdown of the county results, or to search by school district.

The county saw a 3 percent spike from students in grades two through 11 who scored at least proficient or advanced on the English test. There was a 1 percent increase compared to last year for the students in Math.

Over the past five years, the test scores have improved up to 12 percent in some subjects, the results for San Diego County show.

At San Diego Unified School District -- the region’s largest district -- science test scores had the most dramatic increase compared to last year with a 5 percent jump in scores meeting state standards. History and Social Sciences made a 4 percent jump, followed by a 2 percent jump in English scores and a 1 percent jump in Math scores, the results for the district showed.

Source: San Diego Unified School District Office of Accountability

"Our test scores have steadily gone up since 2008," said Dr. John Lee Evans, President of the Board of Education in a statement Friday. "This shows we were on the right track this year when we worked out an agreement to recall 1,500 teachers back to the classroom. We need every one of these teachers to continue producing these great results."

California averages show similar improvement. Overall, English scores were up two percentage points, math up one point, science up five points and history/social sciences were up four points.

Although minority students, English-learners and economically disadvantaged students are scoring better than they did five years ago, the districts and county still consider the scores an ongoing issue.

The so-called achievement gap is still wide among African American and Hispanic students in San Diego County, compared to the students’ white and Asian peers. County education officials expressed some concern over the scores of English learners, as well as the economically disadvantaged students’ scores.

Click here to see some of the sample questions on the tests.

“We’re seeing progress, but it’s not happening fast enough for the students who are now in our schools,” read a statement from the San Diego County Board of Education.

San Diego schools follow a statewide trend toward better test scores. On average, 2012 marked the ninth straight year of improvements in California on the STAR tests.

"In less than a decade, California has gone from having only one student in three score proficient to better than one student in two," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson in a written statement. "That's nearly 900,000 more students reaching proficiency now than in 2003—a remarkable achievement that represents real, sustained improvements in learning.”

Despite accusations of unfairness and outrage after a local deputy school superintendent is placed on administrative leave, parents are coming forward to support the move.

Dr. Brenda Campbell oversees Area 1 in the San Diego School District and was recently placed on administrative leave.

School officials say it's a personnel matter and therefore cannot discuss allegations against her.

However, school board member Shelia Jackson says the leave will affect schools in her area as they get ready for the start of class next week.

Jackson is also calling for a public protest September 4th, the first day of school.

But a handful of parents we talked to say there is another side to the story and agree with the district's action.

A parent -- who doesn’t want to be identified for fear of retaliation -- has two children in Area 1, which largely covers southeast San Diego.

She says she doesn't feel Dr. Campbell is a good administrator. She also says she does not listen to parents who don't agree with her, and that complaints about the principal at her child's school go unanswered.

Earlier this week, protesters said they planned to seek a legal injunction against the San Diego Unified School District.

This afternoon organizers of that effort to file an injunction told NBC 7 that "as of now" they will not proceed with efforts against the district.

They are exploring other options, but that doesn't mean they won't seek to file an injunction in the future.
 

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Walk through Knox Middle School and just look around, said Bill Freeman, president of San Diego’s teachers union.

Freeman says that’s all voters need to do to do before voting on the San Diego Unified School District’s bond measure, Proposition Z.

“You’ll see steps that need to be replaced, boards that have popped out, paint peeling off, facilities that need repairs,” he said of the 54-year-old school in Lincoln Park. “They aren’t things that will physically hurt students, but if they aren’t repaired, the schools would be unsafe.”

Proposition Z, otherwise known as the “San Diego Neighborhood Schools Classroom Safety and Repair Measure of 2012” will address construction, safety and technology needs, in addition to some energy efficiency projects and charter school improvements. 

On average, schools in San Diego are about 43 years old, according to a USD study. The measure will ask voters to authorize $2.8 billion in bond sales to be used to improve the district’s aging facilities, according to the resolution passed by trustees.

The bond is opposed by taxpayer advocates who say the district must manage the money they have better, but supported by those who believe the district has no funding alternatives.

What Prop. Z WIll Be Spent On:

Source: San Diego Unified School District, Bond Allocation Summary

DISTRICT IN CRISIS

The measure was proposed just after a $122 million deficit almost resulted in laying off over 1,400 teachers. One district trustee believed the schools’ financial hardships were so dire, the district should have declared insolvency, allowing the state to take over.

The district says a 2008 bond measure, Proposition S, did not provide enough money for all the repairs and purchases the district needs. Even more is needed to finish capital improvement projects identified as needed before Prop. S, said district spokeswoman Cynthia Reed-Porter.

Before Prop. S was placed on the ballot, about $7 billion in facility improvements were identified. The first $2.1 billion bond funded would tackle the most dire capital improvement projects. Now the district plans to use much of the additional $2.8 billion for maintaining and updating the infrastructure built from the first bond, an overview of the measure states.

The new bond measure would “sustain” the investments of the old measure, as Freeman puts it.

The measure also comes just before state funds designated for school repairs run out. Without this money, repairs would be paid for with money from the district’s general fund, proponents of the measure warn.

“If this happens, then the District’s budget will be even tighter and we will likely face even more cuts in the form of staff and salary reductions and classroom necessities,” wrote an endorsement from the Breakfast Club, an offshoot group of the San Diego Education Association.

A NECESSARY BURDEN?

The San Diego County Taxpayers Association sees it differently. The bond measure could almost double property taxes. This, on top of proposed sales tax and business tax increases on the ballot, will create an overwhelming burden for taxpayers throughout the county, said Lani Lutar with the SDCTA.

The association identified several issues with the measure, all stemming from a distrust of how the district will spend the money.

“It’s not going to fund teachers,” Lutar said of the bond money designated through Prop. Z. “None of the money is available to improve educational performance. There is nothing in this measure that insures education performance will be improved.”

Plus, the $355 million designated for technology may be used to buy products with a short life-span. By the time the district finishes financing technology such as laptops and iPads, the products will already be outdated or broken, Lutar added.

The SDCTA didn’t endorse the measure mainly because the district has failed to use money from Prop. S prudently, Lutar said. Projects supported by Prop. S will span over 14 years -- at the end of which, the district will have spent $2.1 billion on neighborhood school.

Prop. S extended a tax that, on average, increased property taxes to about $66.70 per $100,000 assessed value of taxable property, the resolution passed by the district states. Prop. Z would increase property taxes at most $60 per year per $100,000 of assessed valuation of taxable property.

About 16.7 percent of the Prop S budget has been completed, according to the most recent numbers from the district. This totals out to over $380 million, spent on technology and construction. Fourteen projects are under construction and 41 projects have been completed. An additional 31 projects are in the design phase.

Click here for a list of the projects completed and in progress within the district.

“The alternative [to Prop. Z] is that they spend the money they have,” Lutar said. “They haven’t even spent a quarter of it. Issue those bonds. They have not been able to use the money in a responsible way.”

Reed-Porter said that if the measure doesn’t pass, the projects may put a strain on the general fund. This could result in deferred maintenance of those projects, or an increase in the student-teacher ratio.

Now, voters faced with Prop. Z must decide whether the district needs the money, and if so, whether the changes it will make are worthwhile.

For more issues facing voters this November, check out our Decision 2012 Elections page.
 

Steven Kellman has made a living helping renters, and he's seen it all. As the founder of the Tenants Legal Center in San Diego, Kellman says the most important thing for new renters is to take their time when choosing a home, apartment or condominium. Here are three tips from Kellman for college students looking for a place to live:

1)  Check out the landlord while the landlord checks you out. Steven Kellman says with our current economy, it is a temptation for people to rent out their house when it is in the midst of foreclosure.  Kellman says you should check government records before handing over your money to make sure the house does not have a notice of default.

"Maybe it is already sold and they are taking money they are not entitled to," said Kellman, "The next thing you know there is a knock on the door and it's the bank saying, `Hey, who are you?'"

2) Get everything in writing.  Unfortunately you can't rent on a promise and a handshake. Today you need to get your agreement in writing, especially if it involves improvement to the property. If you want to get your deposit back when you move out, make sure you document the condition of the property when you move in.

"Take photos. If there is a pre-existing damage or wear, document it. Have a check-in sheet with the landlord," said Kellman. "Just hang onto the paperwork and photos so you won't be responsible for the damage that was there when you moved in."

3)  Create a written agreement with your roommates. Steven Kellman says it is important when everyone gets along to create a set of rules that will govern use of the house or apartment during the school year.  It doesn't have to be a form, simply take a sheet of paper and write what you expect from each other. What are the rules? What do you agree on? How will you resolve problems when they happen?

"Who is using this room? What are the refrigerator rules? What are the privileges with the rec room or what about bringing in overnight guests," said Kellman.

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San Diego voters will now decide whether or not to pay more in their property taxes to provide the San Diego Unified School District with some much-needed funds.

The school board unanimously approved putting a $2.8 billion bond measure on the November ballot on Tuesday evening, a district spokesperson confirmed.

Join the heated conversation about this measure on our Facebook.

The measure is designed to funnel money into campus renovations and technology upgrades. State law mandates that bond measure money cannot be used for teacher or staff salary, however staffing levels should increase if approved, the resolution read.

Supporters of this measure say unlike state education funds that have been cut in the past, this bond would provide financial stability to the school district.

"I just don't think it'd be that well for our future to have uneducated people,” said property owner John Henson.” Jobs depend on it. But I think it's a small investment and I think I'd be for it."

The growing number of charter schools in the district would also receive a hefty portion of the bond measure funds.

"Charter school parents are taxpayers, and as such, any bond measure should inherently include and benefit their children," said Miles Durfee, managing regional director for the California Charter Schools Association. "The Board’s action recognizes that charter schools are important partners with the district in provision of high-quality education choices and opportunities for students in San Diego.”

The district faces a $122 million deficit going into this school year. Because of that, about 1,500 teachers and employees avoided being laid off after the district and teacher's union scrambled to negotiate an agreement.

The jobs were saved, but the number of school days they'll teach next year largely depends on the passage of another November ballot item -- Proposition 30.

The approved bond measure would help to mitigate some of the effects of the shortfall.

Specifically, urgent repairs to schools will receive the most money from the bond measure at about $649 million. $355 million will go toward new technology for classrooms and students. Special education facilities will get about $19 million.

If voters approve the measure, their property taxes will raise to about $66 per $100,000 of the estimated value of their property for about 30 years.

The money will be held accountable for by an independent committee, and will undergo yearly audits.

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San Diego high school students are graduating at higher rates than any other urban school district in the state, a report released Wednesday said.

The dropout rate in San Diego Unified School District was just under 6 percent, the report from the state Department of Education reported.

"For parents, this means that they can be confident that their child is receiving, in our district, as good an education as they can get anywhere in California," said Dr. John Lee Evans, Board of Education Principal.

School districts across the state have increasingly focused on retaining minority students. Graduation rates increased from the class of 2010 to the class of 2011 for Hispanic and African-American Students.

The graduation rate among Hispanic students in SDUSD was more than 75 percent and 80.3 percent for African-American students for the class of 2011, the report stated.

Click here to see district-specific results of graduation and dropout rates.

Overall in California the dropout rate among all students -- and minority students especially -- were lower last year. About 1.5 percent more students graduated in 2011, compared to the year prior.

The rate was even higher overall among minority students, with a 2.2 percent gain in Hispanic graduates and a 2.3 percent gain among African-American students.

State leaders say the improved figures aren't a sign that their work is done. However they do reflect efforts to retain students from when they enter the school system to when they are eligible to graduate.

"Our research shows that chronic absence from school, even as early as kindergarten, is a strong indicator of whether a child will drop out of school later," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. "The dropout rate shows there's still much work to be done, particularly to address the needs of disadvantaged and minority students.

 Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.

A tentative agreement has been reached between San Diego’s teacher’s union and the San Diego Unified School District.

The San Diego Education Association voted "overwhelmingly" to recommend a proposed plan to teachers in the district, a statement on their website read Tuesday night. 

"This is the first piece of really good news I've received in the last couple of months,” said third grade teacher Allison Paredes.

The proposed agreement promises that more than 1,400 laid-off members' layoff notices will be recalled if it is ratified, and all teachers' salary increases will be deferred until more funding becomes available.

"Once again we are stepping up to the plate. We are opening up our pockets for the sake of our kids,” said SDEA President Bill Freeman.

Members of the union will now vote on whether to ratify the tentative agreement.

Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page. 

The details of the agreement were explained in a letter first obtained by NBC 7 San Diego.

"After bargaining late into the night on Monday, the SDEA and SDUSD bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement this morning [Tuesday] that stops layoffs, maintains class sizes and protects our contract from expiring in what is projected to be SDUSD’s worst budget year, 2013," read a letter from the SDEA board and bargaining team obtained by NBC 7 San Diego.

The agreement highlights the importance of passing of Gov. Jerry Brown's November tax initiative. If the measure fails, the district will likely add more furlough days to the school year. There are currently five furlough days in the district's school year.

"It's not good for kids and it's unfortunate that the only options that have been presented is either you lay off 1500 people or you have these furlough days,” said Scott Barnett, VP San Diego Unified School District Board of Education.

The union began negotiations with the district on June 11, about three weeks after the district voted to approve final layoff notices for more than 1,500 teachers, nurses and counselors.

Both sides say they want to get a deal done sooner rather than later so teachers on hold about their futures can move forward.

The district has been hoping for such an agreement for months now. Since the budget crisis began, district trustees say schools are cut to the bone, and the only way now to have a balanced budget and to close a $122 million deficit was to lay off teachers.

The union hopes to recall the layoff notices by June 30, according to a letter posted on their website. Polls will open Saturday for union members to vote and remain open until the following Tuesday. 

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Imagine being a retired school teacher: You’re accustomed to receiving monthly pension payments, or you’ve already received a one-time retirement payout.

Then, your former employer asks you to give some of that money back.

The Cajon Valley Union School District made an accounting mistake on retirement incentives that forced trustees to ask that of their retired teachers, according to the California State Teacher Retirement System (CALSTRS).

CALSTRS recently notified the district, which spans 28 schools in El Cajon, of the errors. Teachers said the errors happened as a result of the district “overgifting.”

District officials would not say how costly the mistake was, but it effects approximately 80 teachers who retired between 2004 and 2010.

The district and CALSTRS sent those teachers a letter, asking them to give back lump sum payments and/or monthly pension cuts. Roll backs could return to 2004 levels.

Many of the effected teachers met today at Rancho San Diego Library for preliminary discussions about the cuts. The teachers did not want to make an on camera statement until they decide what if any action they will take.

"We were notified by CalSTeRS in a draft audit report received on May 29 that the District incorrectly reported or coded retirement incentive payments,” said Cajon Valley Union Superintendent Janice Cook in a statement.

“We are conducting a thorough review and analysis of the draft report to make sure we understand the preliminary conclusions.”

Cajon Valley Union School District has until August 31 to respond to the state report.
 

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Concessions in the San Diego Unified School District may be near, a week after more than 1,500 teachers, staff and counselors in San Diego were told they would lose their jobs.

On Tuesday, many of those teachers showed up to the school board's meeting -- the first since trustees voted to approve the final layoff notices for 1,543 teachers, staff and counselors.

Several spoke during the meeting during a public comment session.

Among those protesting were teachers from Fay Elementary School in City Heights where 27 out of 29 teachers were given layoff notices. An additional teacher was transferred. Parents can't believe they're losing nearly everyone their children have come to know and love.

"Some schools got one or two. But for the [schools] that have all of them laid off, that's not fair," said Fay Elementary parent Saharo Ali.

Even though some teachers have eight or nine years of experience, Fay Elementary's principal said this is common among schools in lower-income areas.

"Many schools in these areas -- City Heights, southeast San Diego -- tend to have the least amount of seniority," said Principal Eileen Moreno.

And with the reality of job loss, some teachers hope their union and school board will finally start talking.

"We wanna be here, so we're willing to take concessions," said Sharon Fargason, a third grade teacher at Fay Elementary. "So I hope that agreement can be made and other teachers feel the same way we do."

This may be a possibility. Reached by NBC 7 San Diego, the teacher's union president Bill Freeman said he plans to sit down with school board tomorrow and look at their finances.

"We don't know if the layoffs are necessary," Freeman said. "Our priority is to get those 1,500 jobs back."

The concessions may be able to make up part of the gap in education funding.

More than 1,500 teachers, nurses and counselors will be laid off, after the San Diego Unified School District voted to finalize layoff notices Tuesday night.

The layoffs were approved as a way to remedy a $122 million deficit in next year's operating budget in order to deal with the state's fiscal crisis. 

Four trustees voted in favor of finalizing the1,534 layoff notices. School Board Vice President Scott Barnett was the only trustee to vote against the layoffs.

Barnett also voted against a resolution to "keep the district fiscally sound during difficult economic times." The resolution was approved by all boardmembers except Barnett. Barnett told NBC 7 earlier this month that board trustees should declare insolvency now to protect employees. The board rejected that suggestion.

Hundreds of teachers and staff protested in anticipation of the board's vote.

Many attended and spoke at the meeting, which started at 7 p.m. (right).

School nurses were among those at the protest. By one school nurse's calculations, up to one-third of the nurses could receive final layoff notices at the meeting. 

Losing those nurses would be detrimental to the lives of both students and teachers, said school nurse Ann Sutherland. The nurses are the only ones qualified to give growing number of students with diabetes their insulin shots, and administer other medications.

The nurses are also responsible for training teachers on how to take care of students who are having seizures or reactions to severe allergies, Sutherland said.

In the months leading up to Tuesday's vote, the district and the teacher's union failed to reach an agreement for $50 million in employee concessions to keep the current level of staffing. The union's president told NBC 7 that he is working with people at the capital to go over the numbers.

The teachers will be able to file appeals through an administrative review if they do receive a final layoff notice Tuesday evening.

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It may be a matter of life or death for a number of San Diego Unified School district employees in danger of losing their jobs.

An estimated one-third of the district’s school nurses received pink slips earlier this year, according to the calculations of one school nurse, Ann Sutherland. Trustees will vote on Tuesday night whether to send them final layoff notices or rescind those pink slips.

However Sutherland says those nurses whose jobs are on the line are the ones who give a growing number of students with diabetes their insulin shots, or who know how to treat students with severe allergies.

The nurses are also responsible for training teachers how to take care of students who are having seizures.

“I don’t think [trustees] realize the consequences and the potential for liability,” Sutherland said.

Even if the district boardmembers vote to rescind the pink slips, she added, the nursing staff is already being spread thin by layoffs from last year.

“We’ve just been running around like crazy trying to plug holes, and a lot of nurses can’t do it,” Sutherland said. “It’s overwhelming.”

Some of the school nurses facing layoffs received pink slips in the past, only to have them rescinded. Yet they are no less worried this time, said Julia de la Paz.

“This year it feels different,” she said. “It feels different, and it feels like there are some nurses that have started looking for other jobs.”

The nurses will join thousands of teachers for a rally outside the education center Tuesday. It’s one last pitch to save their jobs, they say.
 

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