How far back will the lay offs go this year?

How far back will the layoffs go this year in Orange County? Are the districts making any comments yet?

Districts have only said that all items are on the table. We are in the business of educating children, so I think it is better not to start guessing at rumors because it raises the levels of stress for our teachers. Districts do not know the full extent of what is going to happen this year and next. They do not know if there is any room to hope for an improvement from the rather bleak picture currently being painted. All of Orange County districts are on notice from our Department of Education that they need to halt all unnecessary expenditures and save as much as possible in preparation for mid year cuts. Districts have to send out layoff notices to show they will be able to balance their budgets in the worst case scenarios. Layoff notification must begin in March, according to California Education Code, so we will know soon enough how far back each district decides to notify.

LAUSD Will not be laying off???

Did you see that LAUSD announced there will be no layoffs? Is the news getting better?

Eyes were on LAUSD because they had permission to begin significant teacher layoffs next month. They announced there will be no layoffs before the end of the year. The whole statement released to the press included preminitions that layoffs will occur for next year, but they want to see what money comes in the Stimulus Package. There could be significant relief and Sacramento is due to release its budget package in Feb. Everyone is watching each other unsure of what is to come. There are avenues of hope, but also significant fears out there. The news got better for the students of LAUSD, however, alongside the teachers. The kids' classrooms would have been significantly interrupted had they followed through with mid year layoffs. Students would have been moved and services stopped. It is good news for LAUSD, but even they warn the news is not expected to be good for next year.

Cutting the school year 5 days short?!!?

What is up with this idea to cut the school year 5 days short? This is outrageous. I know, 'let's just let them out early, who cares, it's only the end of the year, they aren't doing anything then anyway.' What a better way to send the message, 'school really isn't that important to us in California, but please move here because it is so desirable.'

I am curious how this will play out. Cutting the school year will save a great amount of money. I was surprised how much it will save, $1.1 billion. If we are sure there will be cuts to schools, if the government really is about to run out of money, then cuts have to come some way. I get the impression that it is going to happen, but I doubt we will be posting it on any ads for our state. You have a good point.

Stop Mid Year Budget Cuts

These are tough economic times and cuts are coming everywhere since there is less and less coming into the state budget. That does not change the fact that our children should suffer the least. Mid Year cuts will cause a disruption to the school year and to our classrooms.

WRITE OR CALL YOUR LEADERS
What should they do instead?
1. Stop mid year cuts.
2. Ease restrictions on funding for next year if cuts must come to free districts to be more creative with their funds since less money will be coming in to the schools.
3. Ask our state leaders to appeal more effectively to the Federal Government to fully fund the Special Education IDEA act. That would mean the districts and the state would have more money for all students. Right now the Federal Government says schools must provide very expensive services, and the Federal Government was supposed to fully fund this act and never has followed through with that promise. The Orange County Superintendent Bill Habermehl wisely points out that if the Federal Government even started an incremental pay-back program to start funding more and more each year, this would be money for the state and the schools. It would cost California NOTHING and it would mean a lot to our special education students as well as all students in our state.


Our leaders pile these letters in piles FOR and AGAINST to see what the electorate think. We all need to tell them. Here is all the contact information I have so far:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor (R)
State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: (916) 445-2841; (213) 897-0322 Fax: (916) 445-4633

California Senate Districts Senator Dick Ackerman - Senate District 33 (R)
17821 E. 17th Street, Suite 180 Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573-1853 • FAX (714) 573-1859
e-mail: senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov

Sacramento Office—Room 4066 •
(916) 445-4264 • FAX (916) 445-9754

Find your representatives and assembly members here:
http://www.ocvote.com

or

Click “find my district” on this page http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp

Other Contacts

Senator Tom Torlakson
Senate Education Committee
7th Senate District State Capitol Building,
Room 5050 Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax:
(916) 445-2527

Assemblyman Fabian Nunez Speaker of the Assembly
California State Assembly State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0046
Fax: (916) 319-2146

Senator Don Perata
President Pro Tempore California
State Senate State Capitol Building, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 327-1997

Assemblyman Michael N. Villines
Assembly Minority Leader
California State Assembly State Capitol, Room 3104
Sacramento, CA 94249-0029
Fax: (916) 319-2129

Special Education Funding Congressman John Campbell House of Representatives – District 48 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 330 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Fax: (949) 251-309 Congressman Gary Miller House of Representatives – District 42 1800 E Lambert Road, Suite 150 Brea, CA 92821 Fax: (714) 257-9242

Write to Government Leaders to Stop Budget Cuts

The most common question I keep getting is how to fight these cuts to education. My best suggestion is to stay involved with your school district to find out about events and forums occurring. Also, WRITE letters to your representatives telling them you what you think. In fact, if you can, CALL them too because the phone calls are supposed to be the most effective method of contact. Simply state if you are for or against the cuts. They pile these letters in FOR and AGAINST piles to see what the people think. We all need to tell them what we think.

Here is all the contact information I have so far:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor (R)
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: (916) 445-2841; (213) 897-0322
Fax: (916) 445-4633

California Senate Districts
Senator Dick Ackerman - Senate District 33 (R) 17821 E. 17th Street, Suite 180 Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 573-1853 • FAX (714) 573-1859
e-mail: senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov
Sacramento Office—Room 4066 • (916) 445-4264 • FAX (916) 445-9754

Find your representatives and assembly members here:

http://www.ocvote.com

or

Click “find my district” on this page http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp

Other Contacts
Senator Tom Torlakson
Senate Education Committee
7th Senate District State Capitol Building, Room 5050 Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 445-2527

Assemblyman Fabian Nunez Speaker of the Assembly
California State Assembly State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0046
Fax: (916) 319-2146

Senator Don Perata President Pro Tempore
California State Senate State Capitol Building, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 327-1997

Assemblyman Michael N. Villines Assembly Minority Leader
California State Assembly State Capitol, Room 3104 Sacramento, CA 94249-0029
Fax: (916) 319-2129

Special Education Funding
Congressman John Campbell
House of Representatives – District 48
610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 330
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Fax: (949) 251-309

Congressman Gary Miller
House of Representatives – District 42
1800 E Lambert Road, Suite 150
Brea, CA 92821
Fax: (714) 257-9242

Write to Government Leaders to stop budget cuts to schools

The most common question I keep getting is how to fight these cuts to education. My best suggestion is to stay involved with your school district to find out about events and forums occurring. Also, WRITE letters to your representatives telling them you what you think. The letter does not have to be long. Simply state if you are for or against the cuts. They pile these letters in FOR and AGAINST piles to see what the people think. We all need to tell them what we think.

Here is all the contact information I have so far:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor (R)
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: (916) 445-2841; (213) 897-0322
Fax: (916) 445-4633

California Senate Districts
Senator Dick Ackerman - Senate District 33 (R) 17821 E. 17th Street, Suite 180 Tustin, CA 92780 (714) 573-1853 • FAX (714) 573-1859
e-mail: senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov
Sacramento Office—Room 4066 • (916) 445-4264 • FAX (916) 445-9754

Find your representatives and assembly members here:

http://www.ocvote.com

or

Click “find my district” on this page http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp

Other Contacts
Senator Tom Torlakson
Senate Education Committee
7th Senate District State Capitol Building, Room 5050 Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 445-2527

Assemblyman Fabian Nunez Speaker of the Assembly
California State Assembly State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0046
Fax: (916) 319-2146

Senator Don Perata President Pro Tempore
California State Senate State Capitol Building, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 327-1997

Assemblyman Michael N. Villines Assembly Minority Leader
California State Assembly State Capitol, Room 3104 Sacramento, CA 94249-0029
Fax: (916) 319-2129

Special Education Funding
Congressman John Campbell
House of Representatives – District 48
610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 330
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Fax: (949) 251-309

Congressman Gary Miller
House of Representatives – District 42
1800 E Lambert Road, Suite 150
Brea, CA 92821
Fax: (714) 257-9242