The City of Providence, Rhode Island sent layoff warnings to all of the cities teachers, it is unlikely they will all be dismissed, but many will.
Law requires the city notify any teachers who may be considered for termination by March 1if they may not be asked to return for the next school year. School officials claim that notifying them all allows for greater freedom in making hard choices on who to fire. The school district is facing a $40 million budget shortfall next year and must make dramatic changes to address it. The city will be closing school, dismissing teachers and administrative staff. No decisions have been made on which schools and teacher may be let go. The local teachers union is no happy.“This is beyond insane," Providence Teachers Union President Steve Smith told The Providence Journal. "Let's create the most chaos and the highest level of anxiety in a district where teachers are already under unbelievable stress."Providence schools are not the only facing tough choices, surrounding districts have also been forced to issue layoff notices, though not to every teacher. Layoffs of public workers have become common in America as city and state budget shortfalls have deepened, and tax revenues have plunged during the recession. Opposition to such cuts has been seen across the country; union protestors have taken to the streets in a number of states protesting cuts, layoffs and restrictions on labor rights.