As I spent my first week of summer vacation looking at the possibility of changing schools this fall for a variety of reasons (shorter commute, more pay, new experiences, etc.) I came across the article on edweek.org Michigan says 55 school districts have deficits which makes me second guess things. This year a record amount of schools districts in Michigan are operating with less money then what is needed to function. In Saginaw there were schools that closed down for two weeks because they couldn't afford to pay their teachers. There is another district that is not going to have a high school next year in order to help cut district costs.
As a parent, this makes me wonder how things got so bad in these districts without anyone saying anything (getting assistance from the state) until it was too late. Where did those students go for two weeks? Were parents forced to stay home to take care of their kids during this time? How would that affect the parents ability to pay their household bills that month?
As a teacher, this makes me worry because in todays economy this could happen in any district. Currently I work in a school that is funded by tuition. If we don't have enough kids come in as we graduate the previous year, we lose a teacher. Simple as that. This also weighs on my decision to look elsewhere. But is the grass greener on the other side?
School finances can really be frightening. Not just for teachers and other district employees, but also for the students and parents who attend those districts. Education is absolutely critical, and I often times don't understand how such cutbacks can happen - or how people in high-level district positions can allow this to happen.
ReplyDeleteI teach in the South Jersey area, just outside of Philadelphia. Just last week, the Philadelphia school district announced nearly 4,000 layoffs! Here's a link to the news story by NBC10 if you're interested in reading it.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Layoff-Notices-Looming-Over-Philadelphia-School-District-210577111.html