Reworked Budget To Restore Hundreds Of San Diego Teaching Jobs
SAN DIEGO (CBS) — A struggling Southland school district announced a plan on Friday to put hundreds of teachers back to work with a little help from the state.
An estimated 300 teaching positions will be restored after the San Diego City school district secured additional funding from California's coffers.
KNX 1070's Tom Reopelle reports the move will at least initially focus on ensuring quality teachers for the city's youngest students.
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The funding allows the district to maintain class sizes in grades K-3 back to at least 24 students per teacher at all schools, with up to a 20:1 ration at schools in lower-income neighborhoods.
Teacher Kevin Bizer expects the move to provide more one-on-one instruction in the classroom -- something he believes is critical to academic success.
"Third-grade literacy rates are a hyperaccurate predictor of future prison populations," said Bizer. "Students that are literate by the third-grade go on to graduate from high school and complete a four-year college degree in incredibly high numbers."
Even with the funding, officials warned at least 500 additional teachers and 600 other district employees may still be at risk of layoffs.
