Once again, as with the election, Burbank teachers pulled together and got the message out about impending layoffs to teachers, counselors, and nurses. Of the original 251 preliminary layoff notices sent by BUSD on March 15th, 207 were rescinded before the May 15th deadline for final notices.
In March teachers responded to a call from BTA to hold a rally on the steps of City Hall prior to a School Board meeting. More than 300 sign-waving BTA members and concerned parents attended in support of fellow teachers, counselors, and nurses who had received preliminary layoff notices. Many spoke at the Board meeting about the need to keep budget cuts away from the classroom.
Then in late March many BTA members volunteered to hand out flyers on Open House nights. By raising the awareness of parents and community members, we saw many letters to the editor and other expressions of support for preserving jobs of professionals who work directly with kids.
Another rally was held on the steps of City Hall — this time organized solely by parents and community members who demanded that teachers and instructional programs not be cut. Nearly 200 people turned out for the second rally. Finally, we saw more than 60 teachers, counselors, and nurses show up for the layoff hearings conducted in late April before an administrative law judge at the Buena Vista Library. By the second morning BUSD relented to a BTA argument that there were errors in the seniority list, and reinstated 27 teachers. During the course of the hearings BTA members gave impressive testimony to their professionalism and dedication to their work. The judge ruled in favor of our nurses and three were reinstated before the final deadline.
BTA met with the 44 remaining teachers and counselors who received final layoff notices. The purpose of the meeting was to continue to support these members with the latest budget updates and answers to their questions. We are continuing to work on the district’s Budget Committee to find alternative cuts and revenue gains to enable the new School Board to rehire all 44 teachers and counselors. Our position continues to be that no certificated jobs need to be cut because of budget considerations. We will continue to fight for the restoration of all teacher and counselor jobs right up to the start of school in September.