Students at the California Academy of Math and Science, the highly regarded magnet school in Carson, pleaded with LAUSD board members on Tuesday to let three core teachers remain at their campus.
The school district has allowed the three instructors -- Greg Fisher, Michael Denman and Vanessa Cerrahoglu -- to teach at CAMS for years on leaves of absence. Now, because LAUSD does not want to be on the hook for their expensive lifetime retirement benefits, the district is recalling the three.
CAMS, run by Long Beach Unified, accepts students from 11 local school districts. More than a quarter are from LAUSD.
Here's my story on the conflict from a couple of weeks ago. There are 175 reader comments, many of them very thoughtful.
At a board meeting Tuesday, nine CAMS students and alumni explained that they saw the three teachers as integral to the school. (The video is posted here; it's near the end of the meeting.) Several speakers teared up as they spoke.
"You're destroying our school ... it breaks my heart," said student Sylvia Alvarez.
In response, Chief Operating Officer Jim Morris repeated an explanation that he offered me: This is a policy decision needed for financial reasons. Teachers have been recalled for the past two years. He said their retirement benefits cost the district about $250,000 per employee.
"it really is an issue for us of disadvantaging students in LAUSD -- to the tune of about $250,000 for every employee who is on leave to another district and eventually retires from LAUSD," Morris said.
Board member Yolie Flores-Aguilar called for Morris to "explore any other options."
"it's obvious to me that children - students - are benefiting. Yet we have a financial challenge with this," she said.
I'll try to keep you posted. The "Save CAMS!" Facebook group is here.
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