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Budget Cut Pink Slips Worry Local Teachers
Billions of dollars are being cut from education statewide. You've probably heard about all the pink slips going out to teachers all over the county.The cuts are hitting home at one local school.Uncertainty and frustration. Two words 10News heard a lot Thursday at Lafayette elementary school in Clairemont.
“It's tough. It’s tough. I think the biggest impact to morale is the uncertainty,” said Lafayette Principal Heidi Eastcott.As things stand now, Lafayette will lose two teachers, a library assistant, counseling time and playground supervision.Part of the frustration comes from not being able to do anything about it.You can write the governor, but as Eastcott said, “You get a form letter back.”Lafayette students Miranda and Allison and their classmates wrote letters to the board of education.“Dear board of education, Stop! Think about what you are doing,” said Miranda. “We need people in the library and we need teachers,” said Allison.”Teachers don't know if they'll have jobs or not.Principal Heidi Eastcott worries some of her young teachers may just change careers.“If year to year to year you don’t know if you’re going to have a job, people can’t live under that,” Eastcott added.Student teacher Christina Jarosinski is facing that “uncertainty.”“I put in so much time into it and I love doing it so much. It’s my passion. I’ve wanted to do it forever and then, not being certain if I’m going to have a job?” Jarosinski said.What about bright young people thinking about getting into teaching? They might just say: “Forget it, why, why bother, I’m going to go do this job and make more money,” said Eastcott.And when California needs teachers in the future... will they be there?In 2003, nearly 20-thousand teachers statewide got pink slips.Only 3-thousand actually lost their jobs, but since then, the number of people entering teaching credential programs has dropped.
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