| Over a thousand Broward teachers, workers laid off |
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| Thursday, 10 June 2010 11:22 | |||
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James Notter
The lay-offs were anticipated as one of the cost-saving measures the district would have taken as it is faced with a $130 million budget deficit. News of the termination (effective July 1) of 568 teachers and 737 general, non-teaching employees came just as Broward public schools are due to close for the summer holidays. This prompted Johnny Brewer, a Broward School maintenance worker for two and a half years, to say, “This is not the type of news I wanted to hear going into the summer holidays. Now I will have to spend the time searching for a new job.”However, there is reason for some optimism among the teachers. Last year the district ended the services of 394 teachers, but some were rehired due to retirement, resignation, or late re-certification among teachers who were not terminated. If a similar situation occurs this year some of the laid off teachers could be rehired for the 2010/2011 school year. Superintendent James Notter, who called the layoffs one of the most “gut-wrenching” decisions in his 37-year career, said only 60 percent of the 568 teachers being terminated could be rehired. History teacher Delores Prince of Lauderdale Lakes knows the roller-coast feeling of being fired, rehired and fired again. “I was laid-off last year, but rehired because several vacancies were created during the holidays. Now, I am off again. But, again, there is some possibility I could be rehired, but this time I am not waiting to be called. I am trying to get a job in a private school to avoid all the stress that teaching in the public school system brings.” Notter said if teachers are to be rehired, preference would be given to reading and elementary education teachers. Most of the teachers being terminated teach elementary education, English, physical education, and social studies. Maxine Trott, a Broward parent with three children attending Public schools, said something has to be done, not only in Broward County, “but across Florida and the entire country, so that public school budgets are not used as the scapegoat for local and state governments budget mismanagement.” Trott, who had rallied earlier this year against the lay-off of teachers and the elimination of some courses, said, “It is cruel to continue to compromise the quality of education that our children receive by time and time again laying off teachers and otherwise cutting school budgets. It’s all politics, while it is our children who suffer in the end.”
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