SDUSD Teachers Brace for Possible Layoffs

The process isn’t new, but parents, teachers and the district dread it

Teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians are bracing for news of whether they’ll get their jobs back.

The staff of San Diego Unified School District is crunching the number now, and next week it will report to the school board about how many layoff notices have to go out.

The process isn’t new, but parents, teachers and the district dread it.

David Erving isn't worried about losing his job, he's been teaching a long time. But he is distressed about what happens to his students and other teachers every year during this time of year.

“From February to end of year and from beginning of year until two months into the year we're stressed out,” he said. “It could be well over a thousand notices”

A spokesman for the district says the pink slips have to go out to make up for a 120 million dollar budget deficit -- with the knowledge some will be rescinded.

“Unless the legislature changes the way they're going about this budget that's what we have to do,” said SDUSD spokesperson Bernie Rhinerson. “It's history repeating itself every year, every year.”

Teachers from Hoover High, some of whom expect to get a layoff notice, say the system is broken.

“It's like being in an abusive relationship, be down be down, and then you get called back come back to work for us and your feel OK I should be thankful I got my job back so I can pay my bills, but in a few months the same things going to happen,” said teacher Lorena Gastellum.

But the district says it must move forward under the system as it stands now.

While some teachers say the weight of the second largest school district needs to be used  to change the system that both sides agree doesn't work for people.

“Because we're watching it happen every year over and over and over again, it's because the way the school goes, for kids and that's the sad thing,” said Erving.
 

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