History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
Federal funds will let Redwood City schools hire about 20 more teachers
- 12-14-2010
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By Bonnie Eslinger/San Jose Mercury News
Months after it had to lay off about 35 teachers, the Redwood City School District has received enough one-time federal funds to hire 20 or so teachers for the rest of the school year. That's the good news. The bad news is that the district and the teachers union don't see eye to eye on the best way to use the new teachers. Of the $1.6 million the district has been awarded in economic stimulus funds for education jobs, more than $1 million would be spent to hire about 20 teachers. The district wants the new hires to help current teachers by working with smaller groups of students who need additional help. But the union wants the new teachers to be given their own classrooms. That way, class sizes overall could shrink closer to pre-layoff levels. Moving students into new classes mid-year could be "somewhat stressful" for both the children and their parents, Deputy Superintendent John Baker said. "The district does support lower class size only if we can do it at the beginning of the school year," Baker said. "Would there be (educational) gains from February to May?" In the past, students who were moved in the middle of the year due to classroom reorganizations suffered academically, district officials have said. (more…)
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