Sunday, November 21, 2010

LAUSD TEACHERS, STAFF HAND OUT LEAFLETS PROTESTING LAYOOFS

By Melissa Pamer Staff Writer- Daily Breeze | http://bit.ly/9Lm9M9

Teachers and staff at San Pedro High School hand out information to parents Friday morning. (Robert Casillas / Staff Photographer)

School nurse Anna Urie hands out fliers before school. (Robert Casillas / Staff Photographer)

Nov 20 2010 - Los Angeles Unified teachers backed up school support staff Friday morning as they handed out leaflets to parents in protest of a coming round of layoffs that will undoubtedly be tumultuous.

At the end of this month, about 1,000 classified staff - office technicians, secretaries, cafeteria workers and custodians - will lose their jobs.

Nearly 3,700 more will be "bumped" to other positions or have their salaries cut. Many will be moved from one campus to another mid-semester - a process referred to by a union representative as "absolute chaos" and by a district official as "musical chairs."

At San Pedro High and other campuses, staff handed out fliers that asked parents to demand that many of the workers be returned to schools. The unions suggested parents contact school board members and request that the district use money from the federal jobs bill to save the positions.

On Thursday, Superintendent Ramon Cortines sent a memo to district staff outlining a "daunting challenge": a deficit of $142 million for the 2011-12 budget.

Cortines said the $103 million the district was awarded by the federal jobs bill was set to save more than 2,000 jobs next year, and using it now would be "grossly irresponsible."

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