Duluth School Board OKs tenured teacher layoffs
June 15, 2010 at 5:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
The Duluth School Board approved the layoffs of 22 tenured teachers Tuesday night.
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Duluth School Board OKs tenured teacher layoffs
6 Comments
“Johnston opposed it, he said, because he believes the Red Plan is causing the layoffs.”
What school district anywhere ISN’T facing budget shortfalls and needing to lay off teachers? Especially in a city like Duluth where population has steadily decreased over the past 20 years.
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Johnston is right. While other communities are also facing cuts, most communities are tightening budgets rather than spending. People are angry watching the Board cut valuable teachers while approving millions of dollars to build state of the art schools instead of using what we have and keeping the teachers. A major reason Duluth schools are losing students has little to do with why other communities are losing students, and a lot to do with the School Board, Mr Dixon. the Red Plan, and the way they treat the students and families. People don’t want to send kids to the Duluth Schools anymore because of this mess. Period. Marshall, Edison, Hermantown and Proctor don’t seem to have any problems with getting enough students. I am sure they still have budget problems but not because of loss of students. This fault lies on Mr Dixon and the School Board alone.
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Any true rational person who looks at the facts will see the student and financial shortfall was predicted 10 years ago in a demographic study done in the district looking at student enrollment trends. (I was there at the time) This was way before the “red” plan. We knew it was on the way! This situation was compounded by Mr. Pawlenty’s financial plan and the states underfunding of education. The constant name calling and finger pointing at Keith Dixon does not stand the “stink test”. The sooner we get rid of Art Johnston and Gary Glass and get some really intelligent big thinkers the sooner we will attract students back to the beautiful new up to date schools in our city. Build baby Build! (And B.T.W. Im over 60 and a lifelong Duluth resident and homeowning taxpayer.)
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“Build Baby Build”? Big thinkers come with Big Price Tags. Today’s headlines show we lose another 20 tenured teachers. If you wish to keep losing qualified teachers and trade them for a smart board or 2, then go for it buddy. What you will experience is Super buildings and fewer and fewer teachers because the more students you lose the fewer teachers needed. This District needs more like Art Johnston and Gary Glass who don’t rubber stamp anything Dixon suggests – or goes ahead and does and then the Board signs afterward – We need Board members who will question every expenditure rather than what we have in the other 4
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Mark, No personal Axe To Grind – as you suggested. And throwing the word “obstructionalist” seems to be the same way this District tries to shut people out by labeling them. Many cities around the country are having to cut, but only Duluth seems to think that now is the time to do the most expensive school buildings plan in Minnesota’s history. The entire nation is tightening up budgets – but not here. Evidence? All you have to do is look at the District’s own web site – rob peter to pay paul.
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