With Nowhere Else To Cut, Teachers Are Next To Go
Tens of thousands of teachers across the country could receive pink slips in the next few weeks. After cutting their budgets to the bone and exhausting millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds, school districts have resorted to staff cuts to balance their budgets. New Jersey, California and Illinois are among the hardest-hit states.
SCOTT SIMON, host:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Im Scott Simon.
School districts across the country say they're facing teacher layoffs of historic proportions. If that sounds like a headline from last year, it was. But in 2009 the stimulus package saved many education jobs. Now most of that rescue money is gone, and more than 100,000 teachers stand to lose their jobs.
NPR's Larry Abramson reports.
LARRY ABRAMSON: Projected layoffs in California: 26,000. In New Jersey: more than 6,000. Illinois: 20,000.
Unidentified People: Save our state, save our state, save our state, save our state...
ABRAMSON: In Springfield, Illinois, thousands marched on the state capitol Wednesday, demanding a tax increase to prevent more cuts to education. Teacher Don Dixon from Champagne, Illinois says his school is already coping with disastrous reductions.
Mr. DON DIXON (Teacher): You know, we just laid off 153 people in the second round. The first round we laid off about 50, and it's only going to get worse.
ABRAMSON: In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christy is dueling with the teachers union over the