Post by slt on Feb 23, 2010 11:31:29 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/2064560,100-plus-kaneland-teachers-layoff_AU022310.article
100-plus Kaneland teachers to get layoff notices
Action gives School Board needed flexibility
February 23, 2010
By LINDA GIRARDI For Sun-Times Media
More than 100 non-tenured Kaneland teachers will receive formal release notices as part of a proposal to reduce staff to make up for losses in general state aid next year.
"We are not going to lose 112 positions out of the staffing plan," Associate Superintendent Jeff Schuler said.
The School Board on Monday directed the administration to develop a plan for a "reduction in force" of first-, second- and third-year teachers, as well as part-time teachers because of the uncertainty in state aid.
The administration said the plan will give the district "flexibility" to fill positions accordingly in all disciplines.
"We need the flexibility to evaluate all positions as we make the decisions," Schuler said.
He said going up to third-year faculty addresses the district's needs to make staffing decisions based on the preliminary information they are receiving from Springfield.
The plan, to be adopted on March 22, does not specify which positions could be eliminated.
"We know very clearly there are very valuable employees in our first- through third-year group and our part-time staff," Schuler said. "This is what we need to do to address the flexibility."
The district has 45 days prior to the end of the school year to notify teachers.
The district was preparing to make $2.6 million in budget cuts for next year, but then information out of Springfield about a possible 10 percent cut in the state funding level for public schools forced the board to consider possibly even deeper cuts. The potential loss to the Kaneland School District could range from $1.4 million to $2.4 million. The district might not get definitive information from the state until as late as mid-summer.
In other action, the board reached a verbal consensus to reverse last week's decision to reinstate eighth-grade interscholastic sports and six high school clubs. Board members the district might not be able to afford interscholastic or intramural sports or any combination. That decision will be made on March 8, as part of the district's Phase I budget reduction package.
"With the level of potential cuts that are going to be necessary, I think we have to look at everything," said board member Diane Piazza. "Not knowing how catastrophic Phase II is going to be to us, I think we have to leave everything available in order to fulfill our mission of educating our students."
"There's no way I can see keeping eighth-grade sports and losing 50 teachers. All sports and clubs — anything not attached to the core curriculum — has to be considered," she said.
"Our priority is educating students," board member Bob Myers said.
100-plus Kaneland teachers to get layoff notices
Action gives School Board needed flexibility
February 23, 2010
By LINDA GIRARDI For Sun-Times Media
More than 100 non-tenured Kaneland teachers will receive formal release notices as part of a proposal to reduce staff to make up for losses in general state aid next year.
"We are not going to lose 112 positions out of the staffing plan," Associate Superintendent Jeff Schuler said.
The School Board on Monday directed the administration to develop a plan for a "reduction in force" of first-, second- and third-year teachers, as well as part-time teachers because of the uncertainty in state aid.
The administration said the plan will give the district "flexibility" to fill positions accordingly in all disciplines.
"We need the flexibility to evaluate all positions as we make the decisions," Schuler said.
He said going up to third-year faculty addresses the district's needs to make staffing decisions based on the preliminary information they are receiving from Springfield.
The plan, to be adopted on March 22, does not specify which positions could be eliminated.
"We know very clearly there are very valuable employees in our first- through third-year group and our part-time staff," Schuler said. "This is what we need to do to address the flexibility."
The district has 45 days prior to the end of the school year to notify teachers.
The district was preparing to make $2.6 million in budget cuts for next year, but then information out of Springfield about a possible 10 percent cut in the state funding level for public schools forced the board to consider possibly even deeper cuts. The potential loss to the Kaneland School District could range from $1.4 million to $2.4 million. The district might not get definitive information from the state until as late as mid-summer.
In other action, the board reached a verbal consensus to reverse last week's decision to reinstate eighth-grade interscholastic sports and six high school clubs. Board members the district might not be able to afford interscholastic or intramural sports or any combination. That decision will be made on March 8, as part of the district's Phase I budget reduction package.
"With the level of potential cuts that are going to be necessary, I think we have to look at everything," said board member Diane Piazza. "Not knowing how catastrophic Phase II is going to be to us, I think we have to leave everything available in order to fulfill our mission of educating our students."
"There's no way I can see keeping eighth-grade sports and losing 50 teachers. All sports and clubs — anything not attached to the core curriculum — has to be considered," she said.
"Our priority is educating students," board member Bob Myers said.