c/o The Orange County Register
The news from the Santa Ana Unified School District board meeting should raise red flags for anyone with children in the district’s struggling school system. The board voted, 4-1, to hand out pink slips — i.e., layoff notices — to 287 teachers and other educators. The dissenting board member raised real fears of kids being herded into larger classrooms.
The notices are a state requirement. If there’s any possibility the district will lay off teachers this year, it must notify them now. There’s a good chance a smaller number — or none at all — will get the boot. Nevertheless, the vote says a lot about the way public-school systems are designed and about the priorities of the unions that help elect board members. Continue reading