SEATTLE—
Nearly 300 educators rallied against teacher layoffs in Seattle Wednesday. They descended upon the John Stanford Center, Seattle Public Schools headquarters and got vocal about teachers being let go by the District through its Reduction in Workforce plan.Loud and proud members of the Seattle Education Association and the group Educators, Students, Parents for a Better Vision of the Seattle Schools gathered for the rally.
Dedy Fauntleroy was let go from her teaching position, she says teacher layoffs are leaving a hole in the classroom.
"Having the new materials they're nice but, in an economy like this you gotta go for the core, gotta go for the heart of the school system and we're it," said Fauntleroy.
Faced with a $34 million budget shortfall School District Officials say they were forced to implement their Reduction in Force plan which includes layoffs and administration cuts. Teachers with least seniority like Jim Jarosz were let go first.
"I had found my passion in the classroom with those kids. So, I was looking so much forward too next year and it was stripped away," said Jarosz.
It wasn't only teachers that rallied against the layoffs but also students like Melinda Bunnage who brought a sign to show her dismay over the whole process.
"We want our teachers back some of the most amazing teachers are being laid off," said Bunnage.
After the rally teachers took their anger indoors to tonight's School Board meeting and vented against Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson. Prior to the meeting Johnson addressed her critics about her job performance.
"I evaluate the performance of myself as well as the staff as pretty much an A. When you look at what we have accomplished over the last two years," said Goodloe-Johnson.
But, some teachers like Dan Baker see it differently.
"I think she's got an F because she doesn't communicate well with the staff's of the schools, she doesn't come down and see what's happening," said Baker.
The District is dipping into its rainy day fund to help with part of the budget shortfall. Although, educator David Sandler says it needs to dig deeper to save teacher's jobs.
"If this is not an emergency, if this isn't a situation when spending as much as possible of the rainy day fund is a necessity then what is," said Sandler.
The District's RIF Plan has led to the layoffs of 160 teachers and 59 other staff members. District Officials say some of those educators could be rehired at the end of June, but the number would be minimal.
