Klein Warns Of Thousands Of Teacher Layoffs
By: NY1 News
Then come back here and refresh the page. Facing severe cuts under Governor David Paterson's proposed budget, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein told the City Council's Education Committee Wednesday that 8,500 teachers could soon be laid off.
The chancellor said in a worst-case scenario the department would be forced to lay off 15 percent of math, English, science and social studies teachers.
State law requires the teachers with the least experience get cut first.
According to a Department of Education analysis, no school district would be spared but the two hit the hardest would be District 7 in the South Bronx and District 2 on the Upper East Side, both losing about 20 percent of their teachers.
"These cuts would bring tremendous instability to our schools and students," Klein said. "We'd be force to let go outstanding teachers, some of whom have been working in our schools for as long as four years."
"The children of New York City schools are going to pay for the mistakes that adults made with the economy. And we have to do everything we can to stop that from happening," said United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.
While testifying, Klein faced tough questioning from panel members, including Council committee chairman Robert Jackson.
"Are teaching jobs really the only place left for the budget cuts? Has the department of education again looked at its spending on service contracts? Can some cuts be focused on the central administrative offices?" asked Jackson.
"Oh, we've been cutting the fat. And I think there is no fat. That was the whole point of the exercise today," responded Klein. "We obviously we are looking every which way and we will continue to do so to the questions that Chairman Jackson was asking to minimize the cuts."
As expected, the projections aren't sitting well with parents.
"My daughter wouldn't even have a teacher. She would be paired up with another class that has 20 students so that would be 40 students in one class," said one Bronx parent.
"You need more teachers and more bodies in the classroom to help the students along. So less teachers is not going to be helpful," said another.
Klein says if the cuts go through, the system would also be forced to cut back on core school operations.
