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Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools to replace 100 teachers with recruits

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

(Updated 11:32 am)

By
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE (AP) — Some experienced teachers being laid off in one of North Carolina's largest school districts will be replaced with 100 new Teach for America recruits, officials said.

A teacher advocate said the decision by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system is insulting, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday. The newspaper said the recruits lack experience and teaching credentials.

More than 400 classroom teachers are scheduled to get layoff notices later in May. District Superintendent Peter Gorman said some will be recalled if government budgets improve for 2009-10.

Gorman said he believes that using the teaching recruits is a good thing because they "would be bumping a teacher who's below standard."

The district said Thursday it already has told 60 non-police campus security employees that their jobs are being eliminated, bringing the number down to 119. The cuts are part of $51.1 million in reductions approved by the school board this week.

Teach For America is a national nonprofit organization that recruits college graduates for two-year teaching assignments. The program is designed to help poor schools.

"I think it is a slap in the faces of the ones who are going to be losing their jobs," said Mary McCray, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators. "It's more or less telling them, We don't give a flip about you."

McCray said some teachers are losing jobs because their function was eliminated and not because they are poor performers.

There are more than 200 Teach for America recruits already in the Charlotte school system and they earn the same $34,385 a year starting pay as other teachers. Gorman said principals where the recruits already work have praised them.

McCray said the move will drive away teachers who didn't plan to leave after two years.

"We're going to need these people one day soon, and they may not want to come back to Charlotte," she said.

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igliigli

May 14, 2009 - 8:51 am EDT

The Charlotte school system still plans to spend millions on sports teams
while laying off more than 400 experienced teachers.

ncb

May 14, 2009 - 1:18 pm EDT

As they should.

EGParent

May 14, 2009 - 9:08 am EDT

Grant it there are some very valuable "good experienced" teachers...but
..."experienced"...is not synomynous to "good"...
...too many have hidden behind tenure
...sounds like a good way to clean house of those that are not performing

weatherwithyou33

May 14, 2009 - 9:44 am EDT

Exactly EGParent, just because a teacher has been with the system for a long time doesn't mean that teacher is performing as they should. In fact Superintendent Gorman says that the new recruits will replace teachers who are not performing well. Sounds like it's time to bring in some new blood, perhaps younger people who aren't burned out with the job yet. It’s sad when local hard working people lose jobs to underpaid outsiders but it’s not so sad when they lose those jobs because, despite being giving the opportunity to do better, they aren’t doing what is expected of them.

Why do people always say to cut sports in schools when money is tight? We already have a country full of obese people. I think gym class and sports are almost as important as sitting in a class room. Not only do they teach people about team work and to strive to always do better but they keep you healthy. Now I'm not saying class work isn't important or that athletes should get special breaks but extracurricular activities are important as well. There is a certain social aspect that kids learn in interacting with their peers outside the classroom that is important in life.

scottb

May 14, 2009 - 10:59 am EDT

Even though this story is only a few sentences long, it's inconsistent. First it refers to replacing teachers who lost their jobs. Why would they replace positions they eliminated? That is a slap in the face for those who lost their jobs. Then it mentioned replacing those not performing well. Which is it? One is acceptable and one is not.

4kids

May 19, 2009 - 3:17 pm EDT

I agree that experienced does not necessarily mean good. We have some wonderful experienced teachers and some who are doing the bare minimum. I applaud the efforts to keep high quality, high performing teachers. The article seems biased against Teach for America when it quotes that these recruits make the same starting salaries as other teachers -- they should because they ARE teachers. They have passed the Praxis exams and are certified in the state as other teachers. President Obama praised them and mentioned that this year there were 35,000 applicants for the 4,000 Teach for America positions. These recruits go through a highly selective process and are some of the highest achieving college graduates in the country. I am thankful our kids will have the opportunity to be taught by such high achieving young people who are committed to making a difference!