Don't Let The Bad Economy Get You Down!
Jun 16, 2009 11:14 pm US/Eastern
Broward Teacher Layoffs Blamed On Budget Shortfall
Nearly 400 Teachers Laid Off
Most Are In Their First Year With The District
Some Could Be Rehired Before The School Year Begins On Aug. 24
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
Terrance Fuller found his calling. The first grade teacher at Tedder Elementary in Pompano Beach went to work each day with a purpose—make a difference in the lives of his 18 students.
"They look to you for advice, you always have something positive to say to them and you can always offer encouragement to them," Fuller said. "That's one of the main reasons why I chose to go into teaching—to make that impact in a child's life."
On Saturday Fuller received word that he is one of 396 teachers being laid off by the Broward County School District. Most of the instructors laid off were first-year teachers who lack seniority. The district has a total of 16,500 teachers.
In the letter Fuller received, the district said "economic conditions" are to blame. Fuller, a first year teacher and a married father of two, said he was deeply disappointed.
"You have a job one minute but then it's a possibility you don't have a job," Fuller told
CBS4's Carey Codd. "I have a new house, I have a mortgage, I have kids, I have to provide for my family."
It's possible Fuller could return to a classroom when classes begin again in August. Broward Schools Superintendent Jim Notter told
CBS4 News he believes there will be several hundred teaching vacancies before school begins and a number of the laid off teachers will be rehired. In the end Notter hopes to lay off less than 200 instructors.
"We are crushed," Notter said in an interview Monday. "This is clearly something that a school board and a superintendent do not want to do in their careers, let alone to any kind of significant numbers. It's the furthest thing that anybody in the public education system—and especially here in Broward—would ever want to be faced with."
Notter said layoffs were inevitability due to budget cuts and declining enrollment in Broward County. The district anticipates 3,200 fewer students for next school year. Notter said declining enrollment alone would have accounted for 145 fewer teachers.
In addition, Notter said the outlook for education in Florida is bleak. He said Florida's education funding is 50th in the United States. Notter suggests parents pay close attention to the actions of state legislators and make sure education funding is a priority.
"We can no longer substantively fund this state on property tax and sales tax," Notter said. "What is the plan once President Obama's (stimulus) money is gone in two years? We have a huge funding cliff in two years. The parents need to be able to know and understand that the issues are focused in Tallahassee."
For teachers like Fuller, the dollars and cents of the state budget pale in comparison to the dollars and cents of his family's budget. He is already looking for work at private schools and charter schools but he knows there will be lots of competition. Fuller is also a licensed funeral director so he can fall back on that career. But teaching and molding young minds is what he wants to do, and he is leaning on his faith during this difficult time.
"I can look for a bunch of loopholes, a bunch of downfalls and say, well, because of this, because of that, but instead, our family, we were raised in the church and we put our faith in God," Fuller said. "I keep myself in good spirits, in spite of the situation. I know everything is gonna work out right."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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