(Cleveland) Nearly 500 teachers will be cut

[UpInArms]

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1114248889275150.xml

excerpt:

Some classes already have more than 40 students, she said.

<snip>

A plan drawn up Friday calls for laying off 310 elementary teachers, 50 English teachers and 20 teachers each in art, music, physical education and foreign languages. Social studies teachers, social workers and guidance counselors will also be laid off, but the plan calls for those numbers to be determined later.

The final number will still devastate the staffs in classrooms already loaded with students. The district's teaching staff has gone from 5,276 in 2000 to 4,100 this year. The district eliminated more than 1,400 positions in all departments last year.

"Everything we have built up in terms of student success and literacy is now being torn down," said Joanne DeMarco, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union.

...more...

LNCB? :wow:

[merbex]

1. We are producing smart bombs and stupid kids

shows where our values are as a nation

[dsc]

2. This breaks my heart

I worked for Cleveland from 1998 to 2000 but had to leave for personal reasons. They were making stides toward improvement. It will take a generation or two to recover from this mess.

[psychopomp]

7. Then you should know that Cleveland is a fiscal basket-case

You know that Cleveland public schools had their sports and music programs cut last year, right? No more money in the budget for luxuries like those. Unfortunately, many young people from Cleveland used to go to college or university on sports scholarships and those in HS now do not have that option.

It is amazing the way that the city has been gutted financially by present-day robber-barons. It is quite sad and it remains to be seen if the city can recover.

[leesa]

10. Yet they vote Republican, ie pro-robber baron, this is what America wants

[Merope215]

14. I'm pretty sure Cleveland doesn't

My SO lives there, and my impression of it is as a verrrry heavily Democratic city. I might be wrong, but Kucinich is a congressman from Cleveland, so how conservative can it be?

His mom is a teacher for Cleveland public schools, too, so I've heard about what a mess it is. This is very sad...education always seems to be the first to go, and it may be the one thing we can least afford to lose.

[BadNews]

17. I'm not very optimistic .

The article "turning the tide" on this home page is encouraging till you see stuff like this. Even with this people keep voting republican. Don't give me the rigged machine argument. I just don't buy it because there are too many powerful Dems that would blow the cover of that if the idea held water. No, the people are foolish and the Conservative movement continues to gather steam. Without MAJOR difficulties that effect MOST households in America, they will continue to win elections because their fundamental base is more motivated than the average Joe. Also, I think there are simply more Fundies than Environmentalists, Human Rights Activists, and staunch Union Members nation wide.

It will take more than packing the courts, drilling in ANWAR (or even off the shore of America), or privatized social security for them to jump the shark. There will need to be a depression, an awful turn in Iraq, or a major terrorist attack for them to lose power. In fact, I think they will gain seats yet again in '06 if one of these things doesn't happen. The people simply "don't have time to care" if they don't feel an immediate impact.

[HereSince1628]

3. Building republican support among the working class

requires no education. In the coming feudal society the ratio of educated to uneducated needs to be about 1 to 25. Anything more than that and their will be unrest.

[Doremus]

6. That's exactly what I was going to say

Education is anathema to the neocon movement and reserved for privileged members only.

An educated electorate = a progressive electorate

[TahitiNut]

4. Kids don' need no English teachin. We spik Amurikan here!

:grr: Besides, look how gud George did an' he don' need no Engrish.

[Theduckno2]

5. And yet Ohio went for Bush and his "No Child Left Behind" stuff

When will people wake up to the fact that a lot of the monies squandered in Iraq, could have been spent on education in America? I just saw the LNCB reference and its nice to see someone else with the same thought. But who needs quality education to watch Fox news? Didn't the U.S. military just lower the education requirements for enlistment? See, Bush is making sure even the dropouts have jobs. :mad:

[Theduckno2]

9. Just to clarify.......

The Army National Guard recently loosened their enlistment requirements. They now allow those persons without a high school diploma or GED to enlist with the stipulation that they will be required to earn a GED within 3 years of enlistment.

[CoffeeCat]

8. Bush's new education slogan...

"No Child Left Behind, but the teachers can go suck eggs!"

Rat bastards!

[against all enemies]

11. What kind of country declares war on education?

One that wants all education done in "Christian schools". Bush wants the US to be just like Saudi Arabia. A ruling class and religious education for all.

[saltpoint]

12. Very sad to hear this, UpInArms.

Very sorry. I love teachers and I love the Cleveland area, too. 'Spent one quarter at Baldwin-Wallace in times past.

Are you a teacher?

Florida is hiring 30,000 teachers for next September. If you know of anyone being cut, tell him/her to try Florida.

They'd miss the Browns, but they'd at least be doing something where we need them to do it.

[Roland99]

13. That'll teach Cleveland for not voting "red"

[OhioChick]

16. Cleveland..............

(Cuyahoga County) was pure BLUE.

[VegasWolf]

15. How else are we going to get 300 BILLION to build firestations in Iraq? n/

[Rainscents]

18. But... but...but, they have money to buy lots of Diebold machines.

What the hell is wrong with this picture?