In June of 2011 most people who work in the field of education in Westchester, NY didn’t think that the outlook for September could get any worse. Surprisingly for some teachers it has! With lay-offs in the hundreds and school budgets that are struggling to adjust to less funding from Governor Cuomo, many teachers received some bad news just days before going back to work.
One Science teacher in Yonkers was called on Wednesday, the day before teachers were to report back to work and informed that his position was being eliminated and that he was being subsequently laid-off. This particular teacher was due to receive tenure early in this academic year and now must try to find a job just days before school starts. The Yonkers Public School District had no regard that he has had no opportunity to look for work over the summer. He must now try to find employment as soon as possible, but the outlook is not good in Yonkers or any other school district in Westchester.
Another teacher heard similar bad news from the Valhalla School District. The Special Education teacher was hired to teach in an Autism program. After being hired, telling family and friends and even filling out all of the necessary paperwork, she was informed that they were taking the offer back. The only explanation that the school offered was that the budget the school district had set for September was not passed and there was no longer enough money to hire her.
This type of news is no comfort to other teachers who were laid off in June. After applying to any and all available positions, many laid-off teachers heard nothing in response. Little support was made available by the school districts that teachers were laid off from either. Unfortunately, due to less state funding, school budgets in many districts in Westchester are suffering and schools must adjust to having larger class sizes with less teachers and funding.
It seems contradictory to say that teaching is one of the most unstable employment fields there is today; but it’s true. Many new teachers have been getting this type of run around for years. With employment being so scarce many teachers are forced to work in a different district every year. Many who have been teaching for several years are forced to take jobs that they are overqualified for simply to have any employment at all.
American corporations have received billions of dollars in bailout money. Education is the next industry that needs a bailout. It shouldn’t be this hard to become a teacher in 2011. The government needs to invest in our future by creating more money to hire qualified teachers to educate.
Contact the Westchester Education News Examiner at: WestchesterEdExaminer@gmail.com
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