November 2010 Archives

In advance of layoff-related protests expecting at campuses across Los Angeles Unified School District on Friday morning, Superintendent Ramon has today informed employees that next year will be "even more difficult."

In a memo sent to district workers, Cortines said the district faces a $142 million deficit for next year. He said that's the equivalent of a loss of more than 3,300 job unless there are continued furlough days and spending cuts.

Cortines wrote: "Our daunting challenge: we have no choice but to continue to reduce ongoing costs to get through this crisis." He said that using $103 million from the federal jobs bill -- a one-time allocation that is set to save more than 2,000 positions in 2011-12 -- in the current year "would be grossly irresponsible."

The memo comes as United Teachers Los Angeles is planning to picket at schools Friday morning in support of classified workers who are set to be laid off or transferred and demoted in what one official has called "musical chairs."

About 990 support employees -- clerical staff, janitors, cafeteria workers -- are set to lose their jobs at the end of the month. Another 3,600 will the next day be forced to change jobs and in many cases the schools to which they report.

More than 4,700 LAUSD employees have been laid off in the last two years.

Not a big shocker here, but United Teachers Los Angeles has voted to back Jesus Escandon in his bid to unseat LAUSD board member Richard Vladovic.

Escandon is a former LAUSD teacher who is now an organizer for the statewide union, the politically powerful California Teachers Association. Vladovic -- a former LAUSD teacher, principal and local district superintendent -- is seeking a second term representing Board District 7, which stretches from South L.A. to the Harbor Area. I had more on the contest earlier this week.

Howard Blume at the Los Angeles Times has the scoop on teachers union endorsements in four LAUSD board races. The primary election is March 8.

Voters in the Wiseburn school district approved Measure AA, which means the elementary district will build a high school. It also means residents and businesses in the area will be paying for not only the four construction bonds Wiseburn has passed in the last decade, but also three more that were passed in the neighboring Centinela Valley high school district. That's a lot of bond measures. I would like to talk with a few residents about this. Please feel free to email me at rob.kuznia@dailybreeze.com.