Imagine being named a “Teacher of the Year” only to receive a layoff notice after being honored. That is what happened recently to a Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) teacher named Brett French. He wrote a letter which was published in the O.C. Register regarding his dilemma. Here are a few excerpts from that letter:
I am one of the 373 certificated employees of Santa Ana Unified School District who have received a teacher layoff notice this year. Tuesday, I was honored to be among 63 employees of the district recognized as Teacher of the Year for 2008-09. I find it ironic that at the same time I am honored to be among this select group of highly dedicated, hardworking teachers, I am also being terminated at the end of this school year. I am hopeful that our state Assembly and Senate will responsibly address the education crisis and do right by the citizens and taxpayers of California.
If the SAUSD Board of Education can create special classes of groups exempt from the layoff process, e.g., math, science and special-education credentialed teachers, surely a teacher receiving recognition for going above and beyond to meet and exceed the needs of his students might also be in such an exempt status. Where is the notion of merit factored into this process?
You can tell when a school district has bad administrators. Any school district that lays off quality award-winning teachers, even as over 50% of their students fail to graduate, likely needs to be taken over by the state.
Bad school districts always ignore their problems rather than deal with them. Sandy Banks recently reported, in an L.A. Times column, that administrators at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have repeatedly ignored student complains about teachers who molest them. I am not surprised by that.
In Santa Ana, we have a school district that ignores its own incompetence and lays off award-winning teachers, even as they try to raise our property taxes, again, with their fraudulent Measure G. Just what I have come to expect from the SAUSD.
I wonder which district will end up with the award-winning, but laid off, teacher? Probably Irvine. That would figure. The good school districts always keep getting better, even as their lame counterparts continue to make endless mistakes.
Art,
Congrats for this teacher but I am amazed that while he evidently understands how to teach he can’t comprehend the realities of being a public school educator..
Merit is not an issue when there are layoffs because it’s all about senority. He a member of a association(union)where accountability is second to tenure and stability.
I don;t understand why he feels it important to attach special education since many government grants are attached to fully implementing these programs, besides the problems that arise from lawsuit(s) if these programs aren’t offered.
He obviously understands the process of teaching but doesn’t understand politics at the SA adminstrative HQs.
Also, I confused was he the sole winner of teacher of the year or were there 63 teacher of the years.
Lastly, Art since you are very critical of anything SAUD attempts or supposedly accomplishes you seem to have given a pass to awarding this teacher this honor.
It’s like the old joke about what do you call the student who graduates “last” in their medical class – they’re called “Doctor”. All teachers are supposed to be qualified for their positon – if not they should be fired. Those pricipals who claim its too difficult should be demoted – then the rest will get the message and the paperwork won’t be so difficult.
oh goody, I love koans!
The Irishman walks into a pub … you and O’Leary’s cow! Writers must put together coherent thoughts to be published. Editors should get off their asses and get into the field, that will improve the writing.