I saw the first of these lawnsigns a few days ago and could barely read it as I zipped by at 25 mph. I got the first line and attached this post’s title to the message right away. Screwing kids is, of course, not what the lawnsign is meant to get across. But that’s what will happen if voters heed the message.
We’ve got 40 kids in classes today. If the first question levy fails we will have to cut 2% of the District’s current budget. On its face that could be 40 teachers. Here’s how I got that number. Divide the average teacher’s salary (as outlined by recently retired DFT President Frank Wanner) of $61,000 into 2.5 million dollars (2 percent) and you get 40.98 teachers.
This is probably too simple but there is not a lot less we can cut besides labor which constitutes 80% of our operational costs. Whatever it is we cut 2.5 million is equal to 40 teachers. So I interpret the sign to mean Save kids, Starve schools. It could just as easily be Save Kids, Layoff Teachers. I don’t think I’m far from wrong.
