Cut food stamps to save teachers’ jobs? Say what? Given the current economy, schools have gotten used to making do with less, but the latest attempt to improve the situation may have led school advocates to a desperate-seeming choice. Last week the House passed a bill to stave off layoffs of 300,000 teachers and other public employees. The bill provides $10 billion in funding for schools, directing them to rehire teachers who were previously let go and wait before making any further layoffs.
Then there’s the matter of food stamps. To pay for the bill, Democrats voted for $12 billion in cuts to food stamp benefits for the poor. The cuts, which would take effect in 2014, work out to $59 per month less for a family of four who receives a little over $400 per month. Is this really the best we can do for our kids? This isn’t just about the teachers whose jobs were on the line. The bill affects parents and their kids as well, as without enough teachers in our schools, students will be looking at larger class sizes and less personalized attention in the classroom, at the very least.
But there’s less of a silver lining to this story than it might appear. According to this follow-up story in the New York Times, even with the extra cash, some school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, have decided not to use the money to rehire teachers, while many others may yet resort to more layoffs. What’s more, the governor of Texas has refused to accept his state’s share of the funds. What do you think?
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