Pink Slips Coming Soon for Local Teachers

Two dozen San Leandro educators are soon to join the legions of teachers across the state in the now-annual—and far from desirable—pink slip club. 

About 25 faculty members from the , mostly teachers and counselors, will receive layoff notices over the next two weeks, according to Jon Sherr, head of the San Leandro Teachers Association. 

State law requires the district to notify teachers of layoffs by March 15. But getting a pink slip doesn't necessarily mean a teacher loses his or her job. 

Over the past several years of extreme budget cuts and uncertainty for schools, districts have tended to air on the side of caution—they may notify more teachers than actually necessary to balance the budget, just in case. Some or all of those teachers may be reinstated if the state legislature passes a more generous school budget than expected, or if unions and districts agree on alternative ways to save money. Most school districts this year are basing layoff notices on a worst-case scenario that California voters do not approve three tax extensions in June.

Last year, SLUSD reinstated all of its pink-slipped educators (at least those that wanted their jobs back) after teachers agreed to take furlough days and accept larger class sizes at middle and high schools in order to balance the budget. 

Still, the employment uncertainty is a strain on educators. 

"It’s always a terrible time for our teachers," Sherr said. "It’s very stressful."

"Of course, we’re hoping that some, most or all of them will be back next year," he said.

Sherr said he's waiting to hear back from the district on dates to start the union bargaining process.

In a twist of irony during the season of pink slips, the district is discovering it has more money than expected to pay for school and playground upgrades under the Measure B facilities bond. SLUSD has an extra $17 million in its Measure B fund—$15 million in savings from already completed projects, and $2 million in matching funds recently granted by the state. But under bond rules, that money can't be used to pay teachers.  

“It’s great to hear, and yet, in the same breath, we have to cut important positions,” Board of Education President Morgan Mack-Rose said. 

Across the state, some 30,000 teachers may receive layoff notices in the coming weeks, up from 20,000 to 25,000 teachers last year, education and labor officials told the San Francisco Chronicle in a recent article.

At a school board meeting tonight, trustees will vote on a resolution that would set in motion staffing cuts included in the district's . The planned cuts are laid out in the following table. 

Proposed staffing cuts for 2011-12 school year

*Full-time equivalent isn't necessarily the same as number of actual persons because work hours can be shifted, and some cuts may impact part-time workers.