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MARCH 2008

"...threats of layoffs are not only harmful to the morale of local school personnel, they also greatly complicate the challenge school districts face in retaining veteran staff and planning for the hiring and assignment of new teachers to meet student needs."

"Considering that California will need to replace about one-third of its teaching workforce over the next ten years due to retirement alone, the projected impact of "pink slipping" on the teacher development system is not a small issue."

 

 

 

California Two-Step is No Plan for School Reform
Budget Process May Undermine Teaching Quality

One step forward, one step back. Or maybe even two steps back. That best describes California’s approach to education reform. And unfortunately, it is the students and their teachers who often suffer the most from the dance.

This past December, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning reported that California had strengthened its teaching workforce by reducing the number of underprepared teachers by more than 25,000 since 2001-02. Perhaps even more impressive, all types of schools, including those serving the state’s lowest income students, had reduced their numbers of underprepared teachers. California seemed to be on the right track toward building a teacher development system with the capacity to produce an adequate supply of teachers and deliver them to schools where they were needed most.

Number of Underprepared Teachers, 2001-02 to 2006-07

Now those gains appear to be at considerable risk. California is facing a massive state budget deficit: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed $4.8 billion in budget cuts to K-12 education. Because local districts are dependent on state support for their schools, they are facing their own budget crunch. Adding to their woes, the law requires districts to send preliminary “pink slip” notices of potential layoff to teachers and other employees by March 15 for the school year that begins the following September. These threats of layoffs are not only harmful to the morale of local school personnel, they also greatly complicate the challenge school districts face in retaining veteran staff and planning for the hiring and assignment of new teachers to meet student needs.

 

click here for full report.

 

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