Pontiac teachers fear for jobs
Some teachers in the Pontiac School District are beginning to feel paranoid, worrying they may be next to lose their job, union officials say.
Even if they aren’t the target of the latest round of layoffs, some fear they could be pushed out of their classroom in the second semester by someone with more seniority.
Tuesday was the last day the district could issue layoff notices for the semester that starts in January.
In the summer, all teachers were laid off and the district recalled only the number they were certain would be required to teach a reduced number of students. This left about 76 laid off.
Pontiac Education Association Union President Lance Davis said 18 or 19 classrooms are still being filled by substitute teachers, which he said is against federal and state laws.
In addition, Davis said those teachers who are out of a job because substitutes are teaching their classroom must get paid retroactively to Aug. 27 because they should have been recalled.
He acknowledges that some of the substitutes are laid-off full-time teachers who wanted to keep their health insurance coverage. They are likely to lose these fill-in jobs as well in the second semester as the district reduces the number of classes.
Last week, district officials announced 14 additional layoffs for the second semester because enrollment dropped 800 students more than projected. The plan also calls for no more classes to be taught by substitutes in the second semester. Those jobs will be eliminated or filled by full-time certified teachers.
Jumanne Sledge, associate superintendent of organizational development and human resources, said in a recent presentation that the staff reductions will still maintain the student-teacher ratio at teacher contract requirements, but save $780,000 this year and $1.9 million next school year.
Davis, to whom all the teachers are looking to protect their rights and their jobs, said, “They are saving money at the expense of teachers. Having those substitutes in buildings does affect the dispensing of education to our children.”
He said the situation is creating ill feelings and paranoia among teachers as the process of determining who has the most seniority and the highest qualification for each job continues.
The layoff process is anything but easy.
Davis said even though many subs are certified teachers, they were not selected for having the highest qualifications required for their classroom.
Therefore, if any of those classes now taught by substitute teachers are still needed in the downsized second semester, the district cannot simply give the job to the certified teacher who has been subbing. The job will go to the most qualified teacher for that particular teaching position who has the most seniority, as required by state law and the No Child Left Behind Act.
Even the process of laying off the 14 teachers because of enrollment declines is complicated and affects dozens more teachers than those who are being laid off.
In order to lay off the teachers and follow union contract rules, the board had to approve the layoff of the least senior persons all the way up to the teacher actually targeted for lay off, and then recall all those not being laid off. This means 14 teachers will receive only layoff notices. while at the same time 86 teachers will receive both layoff and recall notices.
Even if they aren’t the target of the latest round of layoffs, some fear they could be pushed out of their classroom in the second semester by someone with more seniority.
Tuesday was the last day the district could issue layoff notices for the semester that starts in January.
In the summer, all teachers were laid off and the district recalled only the number they were certain would be required to teach a reduced number of students. This left about 76 laid off.
Pontiac Education Association Union President Lance Davis said 18 or 19 classrooms are still being filled by substitute teachers, which he said is against federal and state laws.
In addition, Davis said those teachers who are out of a job because substitutes are teaching their classroom must get paid retroactively to Aug. 27 because they should have been recalled.
He acknowledges that some of the substitutes are laid-off full-time teachers who wanted to keep their health insurance coverage. They are likely to lose these fill-in jobs as well in the second semester as the district reduces the number of classes.
Last week, district officials announced 14 additional layoffs for the second semester because enrollment dropped 800 students more than projected. The plan also calls for no more classes to be taught by substitutes in the second semester. Those jobs will be eliminated or filled by full-time certified teachers.
Jumanne Sledge, associate superintendent of organizational development and human resources, said in a recent presentation that the staff reductions will still maintain the student-teacher ratio at teacher contract requirements, but save $780,000 this year and $1.9 million next school year.
Davis, to whom all the teachers are looking to protect their rights and their jobs, said, “They are saving money at the expense of teachers. Having those substitutes in buildings does affect the dispensing of education to our children.”
He said the situation is creating ill feelings and paranoia among teachers as the process of determining who has the most seniority and the highest qualification for each job continues.
The layoff process is anything but easy.
Davis said even though many subs are certified teachers, they were not selected for having the highest qualifications required for their classroom.
Therefore, if any of those classes now taught by substitute teachers are still needed in the downsized second semester, the district cannot simply give the job to the certified teacher who has been subbing. The job will go to the most qualified teacher for that particular teaching position who has the most seniority, as required by state law and the No Child Left Behind Act.
Even the process of laying off the 14 teachers because of enrollment declines is complicated and affects dozens more teachers than those who are being laid off.
In order to lay off the teachers and follow union contract rules, the board had to approve the layoff of the least senior persons all the way up to the teacher actually targeted for lay off, and then recall all those not being laid off. This means 14 teachers will receive only layoff notices. while at the same time 86 teachers will receive both layoff and recall notices.
1 comment:
These difficult times create climates not conducive to learning and there is still much pain ahead as the belts continue to tighten and the anxiety for all grows.
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