First Person: A California Education Comes Second to Profits
STOCKTON, Calif. -- A serious but overlooked problem caused by the budget deficits facing California is the increasing number of private contractors filling positions previously held by state employees.
Scarcity of funding for state-funded institutions, such as our public schools and local government agencies, has led to private contractors filling vacant positions, generally until replacement employees are found. However, recent revelations of conflict-of-interest violations by L.A. County school officials -- involving the hiring of contractors -- reveal the danger this practice poses.
California's schools, already forced to downsize both classes and teachers, now face the loss of millions of much-need dollars from an internal foe. Threatened again are both my ability to complete my higher-education