In these tough economic times we are seeing cuts in retail, banking, housing, and, shockingly, education. Living in the southwest, I never thought I'd see the day when cutting teachers would seen as a way to reduce education costs. With our continual housing growth, we've always been the place to come to get a teaching job.
Yet, here we are. Unfortunately, no one's job is safe. I have heard talk of increasing class size, cutting out special area teachers, and limiting supplies for classrooms. While some districts may cut teachers through attrition, others may simply not renew some teacher contracts. Until we know the breadth of this economic downturn, we can only speculate what will happen in education.
So what can you do to help ensure yourself a job next school year? Keeping your certification up-to-date, being a "yes" person, and participating in professional development activities are only a few ideas. What are you doing to maintain a stable position within your school or district?
I worry that, for the sake of saving money, our children will suffer. Even when it seems that education is already working with the minimum resources, there is talk of cutting even more. When will our non-educator lawmakers see that our best may not be good enough without the financial support to ensure a quality education for our future leaders?
Please share your thoughts and ideas. Where will the budget cuts begin and end? What is happening in your state and school district? Maybe, working together, we can get our message across!
