LAUSD'S Latest Pyrrhic Victory
Behind door number one, close to 6300 teachers, counselors and other employees would lose their jobs and the remaining staff would have to pick up the slack by increasing their class size and work load, which was already way beyond what anyone could reasonable expect teachers to cope with: 43 plus students in many classes and students dramatically behind grade level in terms of academic skills necessary to be engaged.
Behind door number two are furlough days that put already economically stressed educators under even greater stress in an economy that still has close to 4 million homes tittering on the edge of foreclosure. While UTLA President A.J. Duffy says, "This is a huge victory" and "The victory is for our students - because we're bringing all those teachers back and keeping class sizes down as well" or Ramon Cortines saying, "I am very pleased and I appreciate the understanding of the district's teachers and the sacrifices they are making in instructional time and salary," there is no discussion by either UTLA or LAUSD about the untenable and failing education with already too large classes and students who not so long ago Superintendent Roy Romer was saying LAUSD had to extend the school year to realistically be able to help:
Extending the School Year
Concept 6 under Romer in 2003 -- READ HERE
"Mr. Liechty presented the Superintendent's proposal for extended school year and intersession