U.S. School Budget Woes Trim Teacher Ranks

[POed_Ex_Repub]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Many U.S. public school districts are starting a new school year with fewer teachers as less state funding and other factors leave them with gaping budget holes and nothing else left to cut but instructors, school and teachers union officials say.

Some states, still struggling to leave the economic slowdown behind them, have reduced funding to schools or shaved promised funding increases because of their own budget troubles, the officials said.

Schools also blame the teacher layoffs on inadequately funded federal educational mandates, soaring health care and utility costs, competing charter schools and reluctance by voters to boost local funding.

more...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040907/ts_nm/economy_schools_dc_3

Good thing we spent all that money on Iraq *sigh*

[phantom power]

1. our school-system has become balkanized

underfunded public schools, charter schools, home-schooling, private schooling...

Maybe there's some kind of benefit from diversity, but I worry about the lack of enforcement for educational standards.

[Parche]

2. schools

Let me see $150 billion to Iraq????????

[donco6]

3. We had to cut teachers.

We went from staffing ratio of 20:1 to 22:1 just to keep the budget balanced into this year. That was about 15 jobs lost.