Long, Sad Day

The Green River

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Today was the hearing with the administrative law judge for the 73 teachers our District has moved to lay off.  While they do have a right to a hearing, what usually happens is that the judge rules in favor of the District - it's all about whether or not the District has done its paperwork correctly.  Since this is the third year in a row we've gone through this, the District is getting better and better at the "legalease," leaving little to challenge.  As chapter president, all I can do is answer everyone's questions, make sure they're prepared for the hearing, and listen to them vent, cry, worry, or complain. I can't fix it, and that makes me mad. There were 4 pregnant women and two married couples, along with a large number of new homeowners. One young man had just come from the hospital where his newborn is being cared for by neo-natal nurses.

What's next is more negotiations, with the possibility that some of those jobs will be saved through concessions - furlough days, pay cuts, etc.  I will not speculate on that; only time will tell.  And we don't have a lot of time - the final deadline for the layoffs will be the Board meeting on May 11.

This is one reason I was really hoping to retire in June - to not have to go through this again. But all indications are that the California budget is NOT going to get better any time soon, and since public education will continue to take massive hits, we'll be back for another layoff hearing next spring.  

I'm tired of this. I really, really want to leave California. It is nowhere near the "Golden State" it was decades ago. But for now, I'm...

Another Day Closer...