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Opinions >>......................................................Last updated: 3/22/2010 |
Editorial: Wear pink, Support staff
If you look around the halls of East today you may notice that the students and staff are a little rosier than usual.
Today was declared Pink Friday by Illinois Education Association (IEA).
According to the organization’s website, they hope this gesture will show support for the thousands of Illinois teachers who received “pink slips” or layoff notices this month. As the amount of funding for public schools decreases, schools across the country have been forced to lay off thousands of teachers.
This unprecedented financial crisis has impacted Illinois dramatically, and our district has certainly not been spared.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Illinois has the second largest budget deficit in the nation, totaling a whopping $13 million. As a result of this rising debt, The IEA predicts that the deteriorating financial situation will cost 17,000 Illinois teachers their jobs. District 303 has laid off 89 teachers this month and East will lose two teachers next year. Principal Robert Miller explained that only nontenured teachers were affected by the reduction. They also considered part-time and support staff when they were making the cuts.
Miller expects that class sizes will increase next year. As students, it is our job to be cooperative as we embrace these changes over the coming years. However, we can still show our support. While we may feel helpless in this situation and the district is running out of options, we can still voice our opinions – even if you were unable to participate on Pink Friday.
Business Education teacher and Union member Rob Livermore encourages students to speak out about the state’s lack of education funding that is causing the cuts. Visit http://illinoiseducationassociation.org/newsroom/send-your-legislator-an-sos/ to tell local representatives how the budget crisis is affecting you.
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