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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Teacher Layoff Notices Sent Despite Prop 30

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Monday, March 18, 2013   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Teachers across the state are receiving layoff notices despite the passage last fall of Proposition 30, which raised taxes to help fund education.

Third-grade teacher Megan Kashing said her layoff notice came as a surprise, especially since her school district's budget has a 30 percent reserve. She declared that even if district administrators are just being cautious, they shouldn't act as if the sky is falling.

"They can say, you know, eventually they think they may rescind your pink slip, but in the meantime that creates a totally different atmosphere at the school site, because people are going through that emotional strain," she charged.

Kashing said it's also stressful for educators who didn't receive pink slips, because they have to worry about taking up the slack if the layoffs do happen.

Over the weekend, 500 educators gathered in Sacramento for the California Federation of Teachers annual convention. CFT leaders are calling on school district administrators to follow the voters' mandate to use Prop. 30 funds as they were intended, and not to overfill district reserves.

CFT president Josh Pechthalt declared that while they celebrate the passage of Prop. 30, school districts must follow the will of the voters.

"That money was to restore positions, to make sure schools have art and music, that class sizes are not increased, to hire back librarians, and counselors and nurses," he stated. "For school districts at this point to be banking that money in their reserves is not appropriate."

Pechthalt said Prop. 30 stopped the bleeding, but is just the beginning of improving public education. California still ranks near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil spending and in average class size.

More information is at CFT.org.




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