New York City may have to lay off 15,000 teachers: mayor

[The Northerner]

(Reuters) - New York City might have to lay off 15,000 teachers if the state, grappling with a $10 billion deficit, cuts the city's education budget by $1 billion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Friday.

The city has around 75,000 teachers and Bloomberg is already planning to lay off around 6,000 to help deal with New York City's deficit for the next fiscal year. In December, the budget director predicted the city's budget gap could rise to $4.4 billion, depending on state cuts.

Like many cities, towns and states, New York is struggling with the end of the federal stimulus program. The city is losing $800 million. This is why Bloomberg was already preparing to lay off so many teachers.

"The scuttlebutt is -- I don't know if it's true or not -- is that the education budget will be cut statewide and New York City's share of that would be a $1 billion cut," Bloomberg, an independent, told WOR radio.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/28/us-newyorkcity-teachers-idUSTRE70R7DQ20110128?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

[Ramulux]

1. I'm sure that will have no effect on the students

Thank god mayor Bloomberg is willing to make the hard choices, hes so courageous.

[rfranklin]

8. Don't be hard on him! He spent all weekend thinking about it!

while he was flying on his private jet to Bermuda and while he spent the weekend at his estate on that island. It's a tough life. Hard decisions.

[KamaAina]

2. Meanwhile they're planning to open how many new charters?

Which will not be hiring any of the laid-off teachers, by the way, as long as they can get freshly minted college grads from Teach for America, etc., who are willing to teach for so-so wages and benefits.

[Dappleganger]

3. What, are children suddenly disappearing from the city?

[Stevenmarc]

4. Sounds like the first shot of contract negotiation season.

[Starry Messenger]

5. I thought there was a teacher shortage.

:sarcasm:

[Danger Mouse]

6. And what the fuck are they going to do to educate the kids?

Oh, I know, increase class sizes! Fucking idiots.

[katnapped]

11. Kids don't need no educashun

What's it take to shoot a rifle or say "Want fries with that" (or "Welcome to Walmart")?

[Rex]

7. A perfect example of why America continues to fail.

Until we get responsible adults in charge - expect more gooder classrooms, kramed wall to wall with childrens, so teaching can go weller and weller and weller!~!!~!

[Jackpine Radical]

13. wat, yoo no eddicated?

Spellt clasrum rong.

[Chimichurri]

9. Bloomberg is a huge proponent of privatizing education so this is a

troubling development.

[Hannah Bell]

10. gee, maybe they could cancel the billion they plan to spend on computers for teacherless

classrooms.

or the ongoing education "consultant" expenses.

just a thought.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=219x31307

[Skink]

12. San Antonio alone has been told to cut a hudred million.

that is one city in Texas. We already rank last in HS graduation. this is the republican dream.

[Jackpine Radical]

14. And so more kids will fail, justifying cutting more funding

next year to punish you for the failures.

[alterfurz]

15. we're on the fast track to Idiocracy now...

...at this rate, it will only take 50 years to get there, not 500. Coming soon: the 128oz Super Brawndo More Bigger Gulp at 7-Eleven, and "Ow, My Jersey Shore Balls" on MTV.

[annabanana]

16. And with that incredibly valuable diamond in it's colon too.

You'd think with a little effort they could get Wall St. to, um, extrude just a runny little trickle of trickle down....