LAUSD Board to Decide on Proposed Teacher Layoffs
LOS ANGELES — Some 8,540 Los Angeles Unified School District employees, including more than 3,500 teachers, could learn today whether they will lose their jobs.brbrThe LAUSD Board of Education is scheduled to decide whether to approve the proposed layoffs, which have been the cause of debate and protest for weeks.brbrThe district is struggling to get out of the red as it faces a budget deficit of some $700 million. brbrSuperintendent Ramon Cortines said he was recommending deep cuts in the district’s central office and local districts in an effort to limit the impact on the classroom. He also said he is prepared to resign if the board does not adopt his layoff plan.brbrUnder the proposal being considered by the board, 1,940 elementary school teachers would be laid off, along with 1,541 secondary school teachers, 90 special education teachers and 115 elementary and secondary administrators. Also on the chopping block are 177 school counselors and 217 instructional specialists. brbrThe district’s central office would be reduced by 1,028 positions, local school districts would lose 212 and about 1,700 clerical, custodian, cafeteria workers and other classified positions would be eliminated.brbrCortines has said he sees no other way to balance the budget.brbrOfficials with the various district employee unions — most notably United Teachers Los Angeles — have blasted the proposed layoffs, saying the district had sufficient fat in its budget that could be eliminated before firing teachers and increasing class sizes.br
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