Mayor Bloomberg called for over 6,100 teaching jobs to be cut from the city’s public schools next year in a new austerity budget released today.
The preliminary budget, which tries to close a massive gap left by the end of federal stimulus funding, will leave the Department of Education with a total deficit of $435 million. The department was spared a more brutal cut by the mayor’s decision to shift funding from other areas into the school system, partially filling the hole left by the loss of $853 million in stimulus funds and $350 million in budget cuts.
Folded into the city’s calculations is the assumption that another 1,500 teachers will be lost through the attrition schools experience every year. It also assumes that schools will bear the full brunt of the $435 million cut, though a spokeswoman for the DOE said officials have not decided what, if any, cuts will be made to the central administration.
No cuts to central administration, database building, or no-bid contracts for standardized testing, of course.
Just teacher layoffs.
If you're an ATR, you'd better duck, because they're aiming for you.
And if you're a veteran teacher, you'd also better duck - you can bet the Keep Teachers Great/DFER's people will ratchet up the p.r. and ads calling for the end of seniority protections by Christmas time.
Also, don't be surprised if a lawsuit modeled on the one in LA that effectively ended seniority protections there isn't brought here.
And then, when the layoffs come, they'll just get rid of 20-22 year vets.
At least they'll start with them.
Then they'll head down to 18 year and vets and finish up with 15 year vets.
Soon the only people left in the system will be young teachers.
Logan's Run for education.
And with Cuomo bragging how he's going to cut school aid, I wouldn't be too confident that the state gives any more money to the city to stop actual layoffs.
Well, at least they won't be cutting Aris and Acuity (snark...)
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