Plumas Co looks to EDC for Charter School Experts

"Harris named a number of possibilities for an expert, including the El Dorado County Office of Education or various charter school associations."

Board OKs teacher layoffs

Plumas Unified School District board members voted unanimously Wednesday, Feb. 22, to lay off 32.5 full-time equivalent faculty positions in preparation for possible school closures and consolidations.

Bob Tuerck, of Quincy, took a long, hard pause before casting the first “aye” in the roll call vote.

After casting her “yes” vote, Sonja Anderson, of Chester, dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.

When the vote was complete, board member Brad Baker mouthed to Superintendent Glenn Harris, “This sucks.”Earlier, board member Bret Cook said he was “concerned about the number of layoffs. I wish we had the 7-11 committee recommendations now. There are too many unknowns, and loath as I am, we have to preserve flexibility.”

Baker agreed: “After March 15, we have no flexibility. None.” And then he made the motion to pass the layoffs.

Personnel director Bruce Williams told the board the 32.5 FTE was a “worst case” scenario as PUSD tries to close what it estimates is a $3.8 million spending gap.

A number of mostly younger teachers spoke out against the layoffs, chastising the district for bringing 19 new teachers to the district just two years ago and turning around and jettisoning them. “There was no writing on the wall at all,” said one.

They also criticized the district for proposed class sizes as large as 35:1. “I’ve never even heard of that before,” said one. Another called it “glorified babysitting.” A woman from Indian Valley noted that these teachers would be taking their own children out of Plumas County schools when they left.

... http://plumasnews.com/mcondon/9199-board-oks-teacher-layoffs