Seattle Public Schools confirms teacher layoffs are happening

We got a tip earlier today saying some teachers at West Seattle High School had received layoff notices today – this tip came after the end of the school day, so we checked with Seattle Public Schools‘ communications staff to see if this was a districtwide occurrence. While spokesperson Patti Spencer won’t confirm specifics about WSHS or any other school, she did just confirm to WSB that “Seattle Public Schools is implementing a reduction in force of certificated staff … we had very much hoped to avoid that; however, with the level of budget reductions from the state, we couldn’t. Individuals are being informed by principals – we can share total numbers and more details tomorrow.” 8:08 PM UPDATE: The Seattle teachers’ union tells seattlepi.com they expect up to 170 teachers will lose their jobs. 10:50 PM UPDATE: This comment was just added, from Laura Turner:

Ten teachers at WSHS got RIF’d (I’m one of them). Five of us are Language Arts teachers. That is over half the department. We are currently teaching all the 9th grade LA sections well as teaching other levels including 11th, 12th (senior project), 10th grade honors, College Prep Writing, and Pathways reading. I am the Yearbook adviser, another RIF’d teacher is the Newspaper adviser, and one is the department head. This RIF is devastating news for the LA department, in particular, and the entire school community at WSHS.

RS May 12, 2009 (5:26 pm)

fergggggg

cathyw May 12, 2009 (5:36 pm)

These stories just break my heart. I can’t wait for all the bad news to go away.

a concerned citizen May 12, 2009 (5:40 pm)

It is true. Madison was hit as well.

Westseattledood May 12, 2009 (6:42 pm)

Enough with this lame economy already.
Dang it!

wrong May 12, 2009 (7:13 pm)

When are we going to stand up for education? This is ridiculous.

AD May 12, 2009 (7:45 pm)

Nearly all my teacher friends that did manage to get their own classrooms after we graduated in 2007 are receiving RIF slips. :( They are all devastated. We worked so hard in college and thought once we got out, we would be in high demand, and finally be able to do what we’d been dreaming of for years! I haven’t been lucky enough to get my own classroom, and it sounds like it will be years until I might with all the lay offs all over the state.

homesweethome May 12, 2009 (8:32 pm)

another sad day for Seattle…this is not just about a bad economy – it is about all of us not standing up and making education our first priority in this city and state

Laura Turner May 12, 2009 (10:40 pm)

Ten teachers at WSHS got RIF’d (I’m one of them). Five of us are Language Arts teachers. That is over half the department. We are currently teaching all the 9th grade LA sections well as teaching other levels including 11th, 12th (senior project), 10th grade honors, College Prep Writing, and Pathways reading. I am the Yearbook adviser, another RIF’d teacher is the Newspaper adviser, and one is the department head. This RIF is devastating news for the LA department, in particular, and the entire school community at WSHS.

David May 13, 2009 (12:10 am)

Too much whining. Are teachers the only ones who shouldn’t have to deal with reality? Education is important but we ALL have to roll with the punches.

rw May 13, 2009 (6:47 am)

Half of the Language Arts department is being laid off? And English teachers account for half of the layoffs at WSHS?? I take it Language Arts is the current term for English and literature. On face value this shows a tremendous lack of respect for what English/Language Arts teachers achieve and the importance of English/Language Arts classes to students. Can someone explain how the rest of the WSHS layoffs were distributed?

Best of luck to you and your laid off coworkers, Laura.

AD May 13, 2009 (8:59 am)

David,

Has anyone here said teachers are the only ones that shouldn’t have to deal with reality?

Has your reality changed, are you rolling with the punches?

So many cuts are being made state wide and not only does it affect the teacher’s reality, but the students and their families. The reality is less teachers = over crowded classrooms = a less personalized education for each child. I think that’s something worth whining about.

David May 13, 2009 (10:06 am)

Yes, my reality has changed. My family (five of us) lost our home (we rent now) along with our life savings as a direct result of the economy and the real estate market. We have moved across the country to this city for work because it had totally dried up where we were. The kids have had to switch schools three times in four years.

When life throws these curveballs you say to yourself, “OK, what’s my next move, how am I going to adapt?” Can we really make the world around us change so our goals and dreams don’t have to change and evolve? Rise up from the ashes instead of laying in them crying.

David May 13, 2009 (10:49 am)

By the way,

I realize that there are two issues involved here (one being the teachers’ jobs, the other the state of education). I think some people tend to see teachers’ jobs in an elevated way because of the value that they place on education. But in fact our culture at-large only values education in a relative sense. What do people really value? Money and entertainment. For most people education is just a means to an end (to make more money). Sad but true. If education were an absolute value in our culture then we would already have small classrooms and well-paid teachers who jobs would be untouchable and they would be paid like our heroes are paid (LeBron James, Terrell Owens, Donald Trump, Simon Cowell, Kid Rock, etc.)

The layoffs are just evidence of this.

E May 13, 2009 (11:51 am)

Growing up with two teachers for parents I got a first hand view of how hard they work for a very modest paycheck. It breaks my heart to hear that the new generation of teachers, and the sacrifices they’ve made to go into this profession are being rejected by our community. I’m also concerned the continued devaluation of teachers will lead to a brain drain. I chose a different profession (computer programming) partly because I just didn’t feel like a martyr.

sarelly May 13, 2009 (3:48 pm)

This depresses me. I worry about the kids and the quality of public school education. There is money for a tunnel in an earthquake zone, but no money to keep our teachers and school buildings working?

TeresaP May 13, 2009 (7:23 pm)

President Obama, what say you?

Gina May 13, 2009 (8:36 pm)

Swine flu. Recession. Teacher layoffs.

Can W.I.N. buttons be far behind?

nails May 15, 2009 (9:33 pm)

yet we can bore through the city for 4billion dollars? For a tunnel that nobody wants? This is one of the richest communities, yet we can’t even fund our public schools. Wait until they integrate the special ed departments into regular ed, and rif all the sped teachers and IA’s. then what will our educational landscape look like? Bleak I tell ya.

howie May 26, 2009 (11:50 pm)

Funny,
Does our district pay for administrators to get their doctorates? Does your district. And do they go to class during their supposed work day? Do they get cell phones provided by the district? Is the list endless for administrators? Is our district a “grooming ground” for future superintendents? I thought “It’s for the Children”…..

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