Education Funding

Who Needs Art (or Music or Phys. Ed. or Librarians)?

By Anthony Rebora — April 28, 2010 1 min read
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More depressing budget-related news: Dozens of schools in Broward County, Fla., are asking librarians and teachers of art, music, and phys. ed., to take pay cuts of nearly 50 percent for next school year, according to the Sun Sentinel. Those who don’t accept the reduced salary and half-time workload would be put on the district’s “surplus list,” meaning they would have to compete for full-time positions that may or may not open up.

The Broward County district is facing a budget shortfall of some $130 million and has already begun laying off non-instructional employees, according to the Sun Sentinel. Teacher layoffs are also being planned.

Individual schools, meanwhile, are being asked to cut 6 percent from their budgets. Guidelines on possible elimination areas provided to schools by the district reportedly single out art, music, physical education, and school librarians.

Under the current plan—and here’s the kicker—teachers who bite the bullet and accept the pay reduction could still be laid off.

I told you it was depressing.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.