Emotions High as Teacher Layoff Notices Issued

Pink balloons bobbed in the light wind Monday morning outside in Novato, but they weren't party favors.

The color of the balloons — and the color of the clothes many people wore — symbolized the pink slips being issued to six teachers on campus. Signs read "Save Our Teachers" and "We Love Our Teachers."

About $4 million is to be slashed this fiscal year from the 's annual budget of $64 million. School trustees voted Feb. 28 to eliminate 33.2 full-time positions, and about 25 of them are expected to be teachers.

"I don't think I've ever been in a situation where six people got pink slips at one school," said Sue Bennett, a fourth-grade teacher at Pleasant Valley who is in her 24th year in the classroom. "That's a big percentage."

At Pleasant Valley, six spots represent about one-third of the faculty. The district trustees are considering increased class sizes in the primary grades, which would lower the need for teachers on each campus. Some believe that is not a legitmate concern, and others believe it can't be counted out because of the uncertainty of state funding.

"That's the first time it's been a factor, so it's bleaker this year," said Bennett, the Novato Federation of Teachers representative at Pleasant Valley. "The odds are higher that some of these teachers won't be hired back."

Except in special circumstances, teachers in kindergarten through third grade teach a maximum of 20 kids, and teachers in fourth and fifth grades teach up to 30.

Monday, the Pleasant Valley PTA tied the balloons to signs, fences, tree branches and other objects to increase awareness of the staffing situation. Bennett said the show of support was appreciated.

"Anything the parents can do is wonderful, and we're hoping the district hears that," she said.

A year ago, the district had to trim 24.8 full-time spots and notify 20 teachers of possible layoffs last March.

By mid-May, the district is required to notify those pink-slipped employees whether the layoff is official. It all hinges on how the state education budget shakes down in Sacramento. But even if an employee receives that letter, it doesn’t mean that person won’t have a job in the fall. Teachers retire, resign and move out of the district each year, creating openings for those who might have been given notice.

At , Principal Ruthanne Bexton had seven teachers served with potential layoff notices, but one teacher might be reassigned this week and until May things can change, she said.

"One year, I had one teacher who had gotten a job and was about to sign the contract. ... I asked her to hold off and within hours there was a resignation," Bexton said.

The mid-March notifications are tough for school staffs every year, and there's not much one can do to soothe bruised feelings.

"Here, as in the past, I prepare the general staff for the notice and then I have individual conferences with the teachers affected," Bexton said. "So that it’s not a surprise and they know that I will support them.

"It's hard. It's a roller coaster."

For more on the school district's fiscal plight, check out this story in the .