Half a Year Later, Teacher Layoffs Are Canceled

Published: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 7:28 AM PST

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The San Diego Unified school board voted unanimously to cancel the teacher layoffs that were carried out this summer, but the exact effects of the plan are still unclear and debated.

Roughly 200 teachers were ultimately laid off at the end of June, but the majority have subsequently been rehired on temporary contracts, which automatically expire at the end of the year. Those rehired employees will now be given permanent contracts that automatically renew from year to year, and any laid off employees who were not rehired must be offered jobs.

The plan, created by school board president Shelia Jackson, had worried staffers who said the language could be vague and the costs could be considerable. Chief Financial Officer James Masias estimated the cost of the plan at $2.3 million, assuming that all 37 employees who have not been rehired would choose to return to San Diego Unified and be paid retroactively to July.

School board member Katherine Nakamura said schools were fully staffed and would strain to find spots for rehired teachers.

"It's nice" to rehire teachers, Nakamura said, "but we're facing a heart attack in the state of California. You don't eat a jelly donut in the middle of a heart attack, no matter how sweet it might be."

Arguing for Jackson's plan, teachers union President Camille Zombro derided the figures cited by Masias as a "ridiculous assumption (that) was clearly placed before you to frighten you," saying that the remaining employees were not likely to return to the school district. Zombro argued that the thrust of the plan was to restore the rights of employees who had been laid off. Newly elected board member Richard Barrera also defended the plan.

"I believe this budget was balanced the wrong way last year. And what we are doing now, is we are correcting a mistake the board has made," Barrera said. "We're not doing it because it's nice, not because we want a jelly donut, but because it is fair."

Nakamura ultimately voted for the motion despite her reservations because she said she wanted to help move the board forward.

I'm still getting details of this plan and how it will be unrolled, so check back for more information soon on what the rehires

-- EMILY ALPERT