Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s War on Education created hundreds of casualties today in Dallas Independent School District. Though the Texas Lege has not approved a final budget, the best case scenario at the moment targets hundreds of jobs in Dallas, and tens of thousands of jobs across Texas.
Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa sent out this message today:
A message from Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa
Earlier today, the district’s administration began the painful process of notifying hundreds of central staff employees that their positions are being eliminated effective immediately. The individuals impacted are good, hard-working people from all departments who have dedicated years of talent and expertise to this school district. They have been colleagues for a long time and they will be missed. While many of them may not have directly worked with children in the classroom, their contributions were nonetheless important in the life of the Dallas Independent School District.
It is highly regrettable that the statewide budget deficit has forced the district to take this drastic course. While many positions are being eliminated, the work is not. Those employees who remain will have an increased burden without extra pay. Please be patient with those who remain on staff in an effort to serve you, parents and the general public.
Today’s action was taken to protect instruction on our campuses as much as possible from the upcoming budget deficit. All totaled, with the layoffs, reassignments, vacancies that will remain unfilled and the number of central staff employees who took the early notification incentive, hundreds of positions have been eliminated from central administration, which will save the district roughly $25 million.
It should be noted that this is the third time in the last four years that Dallas ISD’s central administration staff has been cut. During 2007, 169 central staff positions were eliminated when central services were reorganized. During the fall of 2008, another 160 central staff positions were eliminated because of the district shortfall at the time.
The district is in a financial predicament this time through no fault of our own and we are continuing to work with lawmakers to attempt to minimize cuts to classrooms. At the same time, it appears more likely than ever that Dallas ISD is facing a deficit this next school year of anywhere from $88 million to $126 million. Please continue to press upon state legislators that our work as public school educators is critical to students both now and in the future.
Today is a dark day in our school district and that’s putting it mildly. To those who remain part of Dallas ISD, thank you for your continued hard work on behalf of our students.
Six years ago the Texas Lege cut property taxes, a huge boost to large property owners and those with very expensive tracts of land. However, the Lege then failed to institute promised new taxes on businesses. With annual budget shortfalls resulting, contrary to Gov. Perry’s 2010 campaign promises, Texas ended up with a $27 billion deficit in 2011. Rather than impose new taxes on those who profited from the tax cuts, Rick Perry proposed to fire teachers and close schools.
The Texas budget proposals directly counteract efforts by the Federal Reserve to increase jobs in the nation.
Those firings started today, in Dallas. Teachers are not included, yet.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
The common good. The greater good. Society and civilization rest upon these ideals. My late mother was a teacher. I eventually earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA)after Operation Bootstrap while in the USAF and with one yr of leave with pay from the state of Florida – AFSCME negotiated that benefit, I was so proud to have benefitted from such wonderful educational opportunities. Education is the key to success in the this world. Either academic excellence through College & Graduate School or good vocational training or a well-rounded High School education with adult classes in lifetime learning, no matter the specific route, learning is the key to being a full human being. The people in Europe and Asia know this. They strive to know history, western civilization, world georgraphy and poitics, the arts, etc. One is only half human without knowing a minimum amount of knowledge about the world.
It is one of the saddest things in my lifetime, and I am now retired and over sixty (I taught College level Constitutional and Criminal Law for a while – teaching is extremely difficult) to see the decline in the level of education and knowledge about the world of the American people. We were a hopeful and knowledge-loving people in the ’50’s, ’60’s & ’70’s. The decline began during the Reagan years when public funding began to be sacrificed to low taxes for the rich and the lie small government being the best government.
I could go on and on about this tragedy. This decimation of public education and public services is going to be the ruin of this nation. We in Florida have our own Tea-bagger, moron, crook Governor Rick Scott – the lizard Governor – watch his eyes dart and his tongue stick out and his head turn and turn – just like a lizard – when he speaks. He is just like the governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, Maine and Texas – know nothings who pander to the ignorant who believe no government is the best government. These cuts are short-sighted and shameful. These politicians disgust me.
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