[Student Reporters] Effective Budget Cuts?

Jean Park / 10th. Havard Westlake

Did you wear pink last Friday the 13th? Seems odd that one would associate that color with such a superstitious day that has affected many people with fear but that Friday known as Pink Friday was a day of bad luck to many students teachers parents and others. Over 26000 pink slips which notify teachers of their termination of employment of layoff were distributed including about 2300 just in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

With our nation's persistent budget crisis the government is constantly looking for ways to cut back. As education was entitled to a great deal of government spending the last few years some agree that this educational protests cut was effective others disagree. This event has drawn up controversy and triggered.

President Barack Obama has reassured to many teachers who received their pink slips that the government is working on the Recovery Act which was part of the current stimulus package. Obama said that the Recovery Act will work toward extending unemployment insurance and to subsidize health insurance for people who have lost their jobs. Obama also clarifies that the government's main educational reform is the teacher's retention program. Many people are still uncertain about their future as California is now experiencing a 10.1% unemployment rate.

Elliot Kwon who attends Palos Verdes Peninsula High School said that the head of their athletics department and the performing arts department have received pink slips. He expressed a concern not only about the teachers' future careers but also about the students. He feels that some students who see teachers get laid-off year after year might not even want to come to school anymore.

Teachers and students nationwide donned on pink shirts to protest the pink slips that were being handed out. Students teachers and parents held up signs that read "Stand Up For Schools" "Don't Leave Students Behind" and "Cuts Hurt Kids."

Caity Murphy a sophomore at Harvard-Westlake said "Pink slips are not effective because by laying off people more people are out of work. That doesn't help out the economy in any way plus many good teachers can be fired."

Another reason why many teachers resent this way of cutting back on budget is because the official handing out of pink slips are done not by measurement of merit but by the years of experience. Although in a time of crisis there is not time to waste and cutting back on spending is crucial to help the economy the easiest way for the government to hand out pink slips is to do so by separating teachers by the years of experience.

Jack O'Connell California Superintendent of Public Instruction spoke to a number of students trying to explain the current budget crisis. O'Connell said "I am hopeful the Obama economic stimulus package that he signed a couple of weeks ago will lead to many of these pink slips being rescinded."

Students are worried about their future at their current school and teachers are worried about their current situation. The government has a lot of weight on their shoulders but what the American citizens want is a sure-fire long-term plan which may be harder to come by then many would like.