Pink Slips Throughout the Country

Article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124905425

Throughout America teachers are at risk of losing their jobs. I find this particularly disturbing. When I think about it I think that a lot of the teachers that taught me how to multiply or how to read might be without jobs next year. If you think back to our elementary and middle school days who were those teachers that you valued the most. Children will not have as many teachers to value now. In California 22,000 teachers have received pink slips. Schools are having to compromise on ways to save money in order to keep teachers in work. In California schools increased class size in order to keep teachers but in Florida there is an amendment in the state's constitution that prohibits class sizes over 18 students. This amendment in Florida has cost the state $20 billion. There are also many mandates that schools have to follow that cost a lot of money. In California mandates have cost school more than $400 million a year. California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has suggested suspending some of the schools' mandates until next year.

This problem has long been coming and people have been anticipating pink slips. The root issue behind the school budget problem is the economy. Many states have been gaining large budget deficits. California has a deficit of $20 billion and growing. It is sad to say but the schools are where the funding decreases first. I think that the lack of school funding is going to be very detrimental to future generations. This issue makes me think that the government is looking in the present and is not taking into consideration the future effects on the economy. A lack of school funding could lead to a lower quality education for kids and eventual lead to lower college going rate and therefore could lower the standard. I think that the government should find other things to take funding from that is less detrimental.

Terms:

Budget Deficit: A budget deficit occurs when an entity spends more money than it takes in. (Google def)

Pink Slip: Slang term for an employees termination notice (investorwords.com)

Mandates: a document giving an official instruction or command (Google def)