Teachers’ jobs could be on the line in Baltimore City if Gov. Larry Hogan’s first budget passes as-is. Superintendent Gregory Thornton has already started tossing around the “L” word.
Thornton told a budget committee that the $35.6 million cuts proposed in Hogan’s budget could lead to 400 layoffs in the school system. Then, he issued a letter to teachers indicating that the school district was already preparing for the worst.
“…We are currently analyzing the job descriptions and actual workflow throughout the organization,” Thornton wrote in the letter to teachers. “In the interest of transparency, I must tell you that although we will do everything in our power to avoid them, layoffs may be necessary.
Much debate remains before the budget is finalized, and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has also weighed in against cutting money to city schools. Baltimore Teachers Union President Marietta English said she was “deeply troubled and concerned by Hogan’s proposal.
“When Governor Hogan campaigned, he promised to shrink Maryland’s budget by cutting waste, fraud and abuse,” English said. “I sincerely hope the Governor doesn’t see these necessary personnel as wasteful or fraudulent.”
Hogan’s staff put out a graphic defending his education budget, saying it ups funding for operations and school construction, and provides $10 million for teachers who pursue higher education.
