SpiderWorld Online

Black discusses rumors about teacher layoffs, says class sizes will hold steady

Monday, June 08, 2009 By Elijah Tubbins, Class of 2010

One thing we can say about CHS is that we have great teachers who care about students and who are dedicated to their work. Lately, there have been some serious rumors about our teachers at CHS, saying that some are getting laid off or being transferred. Principal Carla Black wants to put those rumors to rest. First off, yes, there will actually be some teachers who will be getting transferred and others who will not have a position in Cabarrus County Schools next year, but what you should know is that Black is not the one who is calling the shots. Decisions by the state government to reduce the education budget and countywide policies used to determine who is to be considered for transferral or loss of employment are at the heart of the matter. Another rumor that should be put to rest is the whole “last hired, first fired” notion that means anyone who was the last to be hired is automatically the one to be laid off. This is actually a misunderstanding, according to Black. The real reason some teachers who were hired last might get laid off might be because they have far less experience than others on staff. Even though Black believes this situation will probably get worse, she’s still confident and believes that everything will get better in the long run. One thing that won’t get worse for students is the class sizes, according to Black. People think classes will go up to 30 students on average because we might have less teachers, but Black insists they will not go up and that she has set up a plan so that classes can stay the same. Even if this plan did not work out, she would expect an increase of only two or three students per class. There was also a rumor that AP classes were getting cut due to teachers leaving, but Black shot down that notion. “We are probably offering if not the same then more AP classes next year,” said Black. Students may feel upset that some teachers may be leaving, but what they don’t know is that they can do something about it. They can always voice their opinions and concerns to our legislators. Students aren’t the only ones who are angry. Black herself has been fighting like crazy in order to keep our teachers from leaving us. “I might get in trouble," she said, "but sometimes you have to stand up for what’s right and let the chips fall where they may” Black said she has been working with the NCAE (North Carolina Association of Educators) throughout the crisis. “I have suggested to our superintendent (Dr. Barry Shepherd) to cut my pay; I would give up my bonus so I could keep my staff. We're a family.”