Los Angeles Unified announced this morning that the school district will not be cutting teaching positions midyear, a drastic and unpopular move that had been discussed earlier this month in response to state budget cuts.
"Due to the lack of clear information from Sacramento, the need for stability at schools in the second semester, and the high level of interest in a retirement incentive program, there will be no mid-year teacher layoffs," Superintendent Ramon Cortines said in a statement.
The statement said that more than 2,000 certificated employees are interested in early retirement, which would help the district financially.
The Board of Education voted last week 4-2 (with Harbor Area/South Bay rep Richard Vladovic dissenting) to approve firing up to 2,600 nonpermanent teachers and 2,000 substitute teachers -- most of them in elementary schools.*
At the time, Cortines said he was seeking alternatives to the cuts, which would have been based on seniority.
The district has already cut more than $400 million from its budget this year, and is looking to cut another $400 million now, depending on what happens in Sacramento.
United Teachers Los Angeles had vowed to fight the layoffs, and the union has planned a march in downtown L.A. next week to protest state and local budget cuts.
*Numbers from UTLA
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