Updated May 11. Final details on the number of contract teachers and administrators who are being laid off will be decided 5:30 p.m. Monday, at the Burnet Center, 406 Barrera St., during the regularly scheduled trustee meeting. People who wish speak during public comment need to sign in before the meeting begins.
Original Story
The San Antonio Independent School District this week is notifying around 60 teachers that their contracts have been recommended for termination at the end of the school year.
The district is also letting probationary teachers know that their contracts will not be renewed.
The layoffs are intended to reduce a $31 million budget shortfall caused by declining enrollment.
SAISD’s trustees last month approved the reduction in force if necessary, which gave the district the authority to lay off teachers based on performance instead of seniority.
But the teacher’s union said many of the teachers were shocked to be called into the human resources office Tuesday.
“Many of these teachers are teachers who have eight years, 10 years, 12 years, 20 years or more in the school district; have had a history of good evaluations, and so many of them were caught off guard,” said Shelley Potter, president of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel.
Potter says the teachers are being judged based on one year’s appraisal, and principals don’t score the appraisals consistently.
“We don’t think that one year, one 45 minute observation is necessarily a good reflection of the teacher’s performance overall,” Potter said.
In a statement, district officials said they had hoped to avoid having to let any teachers go but had to start making difficult decisions.
“The goal has been for attrition to provide for minimal impact on staff,” SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price said.
Board trustees are slated to give final approval for the layoffs Monday.
In addition to laying off teachers, SAISD is expected to reduce the number of principals and central office administrators.
Camille Phillips can be reached at camille@tpr.org or on Twitter @cmpcamille
