Thousands of US Teachers Lose Jobs as States Cut Budgets

04 May 2011

Budget cuts have forced California and other states to reduce their number of teachers

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

America's recession ended in June of two thousand nine but recovery has been slow. Many states face budget problems and have cut spending in areas including education.

In California, thousands of teachers have lost their jobs. Veronica Pellegrin received a layoff notice in the mail.

VERONICA PELLEGRIN: "Getting the letter and seeing [you] will no longer be employed, your services will no longer be required -- it is very disheartening, to say the least, and frustrating."

Sixty percent of the teachers at the Mariposa-Nabi primary school in Los Angeles have received layoff notices.

Salvador Rodriguez, the school principal, has been able to provide computers for his students.

SALVADOR RODRIGUEZ: "We have to keep going and make it the best year possible with all these changes."

But fewer teachers mean bigger classes at his school. Mr. Rodriguez says there used to be twenty students to a teacher. By next year, he expects nearly thirty students in a class.

SALVADOR RODRIQUEZ: "If you cut personnel, they can not give that individual attention."

Teachers say this is true especially in schools with large immigrant populations where English is not the first language of many students.