[carolynpep73]

I'm sure this is news pretty much everywhere you go these days. My school district is cutting 45 million dollars from the budget. We are most likely going to lose art, music, and 50% of high school athletic funding as well as 800-1,000 jobs across the board. Several of my friends are at risk of losing their jobs and they are terrified; rightfully so. Our county is one of the worse hit counties in the state of FL for foreclosures and has had a major decline in property values (some properties declined well over 50%).

Thankfully, my job is secure but my salary is not. We may get upwards of a 6% cut. I don't forsee a cut that big happening but it's always possible.

What's it like in your school district?

[mamaskoby]

In Ca we already have no music, art or sports at the schools due to past budget cuts. Now with this latest cut my son's teacher told me they even cut their paper (construction paper) budget, so they have none!!!
It is crazy!!! Hope you don't get a paycut, I know its hard out there!

[mommytoEli]

we are scared in TN. my dh could very well lose his job, but we are not freaking out yet. it would be horrible to lose so many teachers....i hate the thought of what that would do to education in America when i already think so poorly of it that today I pulled my son out of school with no plans of putting him back in. I can't imagine how much worse his classroom would have been with 30 kids , instead of 20! so sad!

[mcnay1]

Where in FL are you, Carolyn?

Im in NC and I havent heard of huge cutbacks yet, but like everywhere else, Im sure they are coming!

[keirasmom]

I teach in Pennsylvania in a residential placement for children in crisis. We just got pay cuts based on salary going from .5% to 7%. Thankfully mine was only 2%.

My cousin teaches in CT (Hartford area), and they are experiencing many of the cuts that have been mentioned.

Our local districts (Allentown, PA) seem to be doing ok. Many are hiring, however not hiring me! I've been trying for the past few weeks and haven't gotten an interview anywhere. I think the problem is that I have too much experience,and they think they will have to pay me more than a new teacher. I jeep thinking, geez, if they only new how little I'm paid now, they'd snap me up!

Any of you fellow teachers have any tips for getting into a district school?

[carolynpep73]

I knew cuts where across the board in this country. So sad! I too worry about the education of our children if we have no supplies, too many kids in a class, and teachers who are stressed out because they're not making enough money to pay the bills OR they're worried about losing their jobs. That, on top of being asked to do a 12 hour job in your 8 hour day adds fuel to the fire. This is going to have a drastic, long term effect and there is not one educator out there that will not be touched by this in one way or another.

Personally, I have already considered moving out of the area in the next two years to either NC or SC. I don't know why I'm chosing those areas, I guess I just feel drawn to them.

Mcnay1- I'm in Lee County Florida (SW FL)

[mcnay1]

We are not in the schools yet except for JD's speech 2 days a week through Smart Start, so It is possible that I havent had my ears open for many changes. I do know that both school districts around here are continuing to build many new schools to accomadate the influx of people. I take the new schools as a good sign for now. Cant speak for SC, but North Carolina is great. We love it hear and dont have any plans to leave.

I grew up in the Orlando area and my parents are still there. So, that's why I asked where you were...just curious...

[BethanyB]

I'm a teacher in NJ and we are redistricting this year to cut costs and save money and employees. We have slowly had cuts in our supplies over the past few years and we had a paper shortage last year so now we can only use so much paper. The next few years we plan to be in a tight squeeze. I'm not sure what will happen.

[shoegirl06]

I'm in a mid-sized urban district in Upstate NY. We've been cutting for YEARS, like 40-50 jobs per year for the past 5-6. I've been teaching here for 10 and I'm the LEAST senior person in my department (barring a substitute who is a place-holder for someone on special assignment). We have a residency requirement, so we're REQUIRED to live in our city. It's not bad, but I feel for the people who HAD to buy a home here and then lost their jobs!

[KathyNC]

We had cuts last year and this year looks to be worse. Between the combination of a decrease in funding from the state and a decreasing tax base, the money just isn't there. In addition to teacher cuts, they are talking of cutting art/music and athletics. They are also talking of cutting transportation services however that will require a separate vote and I am not sure that people will buy into little ones walking two miles to school along busy roads w/ no sidewalks. They are also fighting hard to reduce Spec Ed services/costs. For example, they are close to an agreement to send the classified year round students out of district for summer school. That will be really tough for the little ones....long bus rides combined, with staff that they don't know and place that they don't know, have me questioning the value of even allowing my son to attend. As it is, he spent the first two weeks of this school year standing in the corner of the room....same classroom as last year, same teacher as last year but new support staff. Last years staff were bumped on seniority in the last cuts.

Scary times....

Kathy

[humanpitchpipe]

It is very possible to be overqualified in this field. Thankfully I love where I am teaching, I have tenure, and I am high enough on the seniority list. However, it is very scary during these times to be a choir teacher. I have sat in on two different interview situations for music teachers in my district and applicants that had too much experience were either not even given an interview or they were expected to take a decrease in number of years. One woman I helped interview had seventeen years experience and was told that they could only pay her for five years of experience. So basically if you have more than five years teaching and/or a master's degree then good luck finding a job.

[MamaS]

Mu county in Georgia was the 2nd fastest growing in the United States for residential housing. Well, you can imagine now. I moved into a small, new subdivision that had space for 86 houses. There are 23 occupied, 5 new homes have been up for sale for over two years and nothing sold or built in two years.
My county did away with music, school nurses, reading specialists, and next to go is art, PE, on-site Speech and on-site ESOL. Also, class sizes are to increase by 25%. There is talk of charging a "rider's fee" for school buses as well.
BUT, THERE ARE NO CUTS IN THE HIGHWAY BUDGET and the governor's home county is getting a large, recreational fishing/boating lake. (Just a coincidence that our governor loves to fish and is soon to retire.)

[Carlee1boy]

I'm in Georgia, and in one of the more "well off" counties. There is a good chance my position will be cut, as I work part-time. My husband also works in the system, so we are praying extra hard that if not both of us, then at least HIS JOB will be safe.

They are looking into cutting school nurses, have asked teachers to give back their 2.5% pay raise, and arecutting 120 positions. We have never experienced anything like this.

At the beginning of this month, the teachers at my school were given three reams of paper, with no more to replenish their supply at this time. We have also run out of paper towels, as the principal had to prioritize toilet paper over paper towels.

It is so scary!!!
Carolyn

[jp4ga]

Also located in GA. My system is promising to save all jobs if possible. Many people will be moved to a new school that is opening and no new hires will be made to replace those who are retiring. My principal was told last week that if he is permitted to hire people, he will have to hire new teachers and pass on the experienced teachers. I think this is unfair, as the best possible teachers should be hired and if it is the 1st year teacher so be it, if not the experienced teacher should be hired. All this in the name of NCLB and cost saving.

[Waiting4OURBOY]

I teach elementary music in NC. There have been large cuts in all of the NC counties. The bigger counties have more to give back. I teach in a relatively small county. They are trying really hard to save teacher positions. About all the schools cutting art and music -- How are they giving the elementary teachers planning time. Here in NC we have laws about planning time and without the art/music classes there is no way that the teachers would have their required planning.

They are talking about majorly cutting benefits especially the health coverage after retirement. So much for job security in teaching!!