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Budget Cuts and Future Plans

Thursday we had a staff meeting led by our school Superintendent and the Human Resources director. The topic? Next year's budget cuts. As of the last governor's proposed budget, our school was scheduled to have $1.5 million cut from our budget for next year. The new governor has not approved a budget yet, so we're not sure if that number will remain, or increase.

Currently we have about 50 students in the deaf department high school. Twelve or thirteen will be graduating. Currently we have five 8th grade students. Our numbers in the high school are going to be dropping. Our numbers in general are dropping. Next year we will have 66 students in the deaf department. That is, 66 students from preschool through 12th grade. Not very many.

After telling us these numbers, HR discussed how the administration has been planning to deal with the budget cuts. They will be leaving vacant positions open, trimming utility and technology expenditures as much as possible, and decreasing hours for wage employees (teacher's assistants, bus aides, interpreters). They will also decrease some admin positions from 12 month positions to 10 or 11 months.

After all that, they still need to cut over $430,000. Layoffs are coming. It makes me sad to think of people that I have worked with for the past two years being laid off. At this point I feel some degree of security in my job because there are only 2 of us math teachers in the deaf department, teaching middle and high school. The administration has also informed me that I might be the person teaching the newly required Personal Finance and Economics class that all students will need to take (eek!). Looking around, though, I see people who have worked for more years than I, who have more education that I have, that are in jeopardy of losing their jobs because they are the most junior member of their "team." I don't know what will happen in the next few weeks, nor am I 100% certain that I won't be writing to say I'm out of a job for now. I am one of the most recent hires...low (wo)man on the totem pole, so to speak. I'll keep you posted.

One more thing...this information about the budget cuts and the future of our school further justifies my thought that I should broaden my scope for a master's program. Maybe Secondary Ed: Math? Or math in general? ...but I don't want to be proving deltas and epsilons and doing way far out math...I don't quite know yet. Any suggestions?

Comments

  1. Sorry to hear about the cutbacks. That's never a fun thing to hear about, especially in specialized schools that need people who are capable enough to work in them.

    As for your master's thoughts, I'm kind of going through the same thing. I have a secondary ed degree with endorsements in math and PE. I don't want to go the masters in math route either, because it's not at all practical for teaching middle or secondary math. The three topics I've thought about the most are edu psych, edu tech, and curriculum development, which are all over the board. But, you're the only one that's not sure! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Angela,
    Thanks for reminding me that I'm not the only one! Good luck with your hunt for an appropriate program, too!

    ReplyDelete

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