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TEMECULA: Teachers concerned about salary cuts
In the article it informs the reader that the Temecula Valley School district is laying off 120 employees and that it is close to facing a $23 million budget gap for 2012-2013 . Chris Lindberg from the Temecula teachers union basically said that she wants the cuts to be spread out among all teachers. Linberg also says, " We're (teachers Union) concerned about the state education crisis and how it affects students." Linberg understands that sacrifices need to made. She has also said that if teachers got paid less and there would be less days of school then their would be less work involved. President of the school board Bob Brown, defends himself in saying," We ( the district don't want to lay anybody off. We're doing all we can to avoid a layoff. This is a process that has to take place. We don't like it." He also encourages teachers to be patient and flexible. One teacher Michelle Stevens has gotten 4 pink slipped but hasn't been laid off yet. Last year the school district's revenue was $208 million while the district spent $205 million of that. Lori Ordway-Peck, the Assistant Superintendent blamed the deficit on funding cuts by the state. Predictions for this year will be $206 million in revenue and $216 million of it is expected to be spent, while Lori predicts the revenue will be $189 million in revenue and $216 million in expenses. She says the district can move $4 million from a reserve account they will still be $23 million dollars in debt. It is estimated that $370 per student will subtracted if the governor's state funding tax isn't ratified in November. That means $10.1 million from the district. The district has proposed an retirement plan to all teachers that are at least 55 and been working in the district for five years, which states that older teachers will receive the the amount of money they would make in five years spread out over five years in exchange for retirement. The district is doing this so they can make room for lower costing employees.
Question
Dear author
Why is their so much debt, and is it really the states fault?
If the days in class are reduced then how are the students going to learn all the criteria?
If the district doesn't want to lay anybody off why don't they find other ways to save money?
If Michelle Stevens has gotten 4 pink slips why hasn't she gotten laid off?
Is there research proving that students aren't benefitting from this?
How many teacher have been laid off so far?
Has anyone in the district been laid off yet?
If so how many?
How does the district choose who will be laid off?
Concerns
I am concerned with this because I think the teachers and the district are focusing to much on money and not on teaching the kids.
I am also concerned that even though retiring the older teachers would make money in the long run, for the five year that they are getting paid the district has to pay those people that aren't doing anything and the low cost employees which add up to a higher cost than if the older teacher just keep working.
I am concerned that the teacher that have gotten laid off don't have a say in this article.
Another concern I have is that the teachers are getting laid off by the people in te district who apear to not be laying off any one within the district.
My final concern is, do the kids have a say?
Is the U.S. Falling Behind in Higher Education
Unlike the previous article, that blamed the decline of education on a deficit, this article blames it on the fact that other countries are leaving us behind in the race for education. It claims that only forty percent of younger people are attaining a higher education. And it is the same for adults and college degrees. It states that once uneducated asian country are stepping it up and getting the hight educations in the world. It proves this by saying that americans rank 12 out of 36 in education across the world. One man, an ethnic librarian says that teaching need to be amped up and that people should be educated enough to be employable rather than importing a person from another thriving country. Obama and George town call for millions of college graduates but in reality it will not happen. korea is the leading country in college participation even though it is largely over populated. The article also blames the high cost of being educated a large addition. One professor blames republicans for supporting the cuts that hurt students. Bad education is also blamed in this article on to many requirements to get into college. The article is ended by stating a statistic that proves the future isn't brighter.
Questions:
Dear Author,
How many people believe this?
WHich side is wrong your side or the other?
How did the asian countries get so smart?
When did we start to fall back in education?
How did we fall back?
Where is education the worst?
Which countries are in the 36?
What about the other countries?
Concerns
I am concerned that we other countries don't have free governments yet they get better educations.
I am concerned that we spend so much money on education to have a failing system.
I am concerned that children complain about so much homework but still they are ranked 12th.
I would solve this issue by eliminating the idea of the pensions in the education system. For example, some people after they retire get thousands upon thousands of dollars in pension ever year after they stop working for the education department. They should have to save up in their 401K like everyone else and not rely on their old job to carry them. I doing this the educational department would have access to more money to pay the teachers and keep them employed. They could also put the money saved into providing scholarships to people that can't afford college but are smart enough. For example, then we add to the people with college degrees. Then, those people could get better jobs to support families.
This affects me as a citizen because my class mates and I are the ones that are receiving the education for our beloved teachers. For example, just this week some of the teachers at our school got pink slips and that makes the students depressed because some of us grow attached to some of our teachers. By getting attached to teachers that potentially going to get laid off students, like me get very upset. Another way it affects us is that it prohibits my and the students learning if the teachers that help us the most in our education are laid off. For example, My math teacher, Mrs, Wolley, has been the best teacher in math that I have had so fair. If someone else replaced her then I would most likely not get as good grade because Mrs. Wolley knows how to teach us in a way that makes sense and helps us succeed.
This connects to the unit we are studying because just like how the federalist and the Anti federalist argued so do the people of power in education and the people that are affected by it. For example , the two political parties always argued on the size of the government just like how the education department and the people affected by it argue on how to fix the problem. The Education department plans to fix it with teacher layoffs while the opposing party would think differently. So in fact this relates to the unit we are studying because in both situation a stance is being argued, but like the american parties found compromises the education department and the people have yet to reach one.
I will make a difference by voicing my opinion, my solutions and others opinions in a creative way. For example, I have already created a page on Facebook that asks students to voice their opinions on the budget cuts and teacher layoffs. By doing this I hope to gain enough attention to show the district that students do care and have solutions that might work. And if my plan goes well then the district might take on those suggestions. I also plan on attending the meeting in which Mrs. Evans is speaking at. If I do this it might help me be inspired to help the cause in another way. I can express these inspirations on my Facebook page.
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