It has come to the attention of the Abram Agnew Elementary School families and community that the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) is advancing a so called “rightsizing” plan that would result in mass layoffs of our teachers and educators. According to the district, “rightsizing” is intended to align resources with student needs and maintain long term fiscal stability amid declining enrollment and increasing expenses. However, the human cost of this approach, particularly for young children, is unacceptable. We strongly disagree that the solution to financial challenges should come at the expense of the very adults who build the foundation of our children’s education and emotional development. At the elementary level, teachers are not interchangeable cogs in a budget spreadsheet. They are trusted mentors, consistent sources of encouragement, and the first professional partners in learning that our children experience. Over the past five years, Agnew teachers have developed deep, meaningful relationships with our children, understanding each child’s strengths, challenges, and social emotional needs. Removing these relationships abruptly would be profoundly disruptive and harmful to our students’ well being and learning. Our teachers have worked closely with families to build an inclusive and supportive school culture. They have nurtured children through the earliest stages of literacy, numeracy, social skills, and emotional regulation, work that cannot be measured purely in line item cost savings. These educators lead classroom communities, develop thoughtful curriculum, support students through crises, collaborate with parents, and serve as anchors of stability for young learners. While SCUSD describes rightsizing as a strategic and thoughtful budgeting effort, we believe there are better alternatives that do not involve sacrificing classroom teachers first. Reductions in non instructional expenditures, administrative overhead, non essential service contracts, and other operational costs should be prioritized before dismantling the core instructional staff who teach our children every day. Laying off Agnew teachers who have spent years building trust and academic momentum with our children is not only a disservice, it is an injustice to our students, families, and the broader community. Once these relationships are severed, the damage cannot easily be undone. The long term educational and emotional impact on our elementary age children would be profound. Abram Agnew Elementary has worked tirelessly to become a place where children feel safe, challenged, and supported. That progress has been possible only because of the dedication of these teachers. Removing them now undermines the very mission SCUSD claims to protect through rightsizing, the success and well being of students. We call on the Santa Clara Unified School District, the Superintendent, and the SCUSD Board of Education to halt the proposed layoffs, reconsider a financial strategy that places classroom teachers at risk, and pursue alternative solutions that preserve the quality education and continuity our children deserve. Laying off our Agnew teachers is unacceptable. Please defend our teachers! Please defend our children!