Has the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) come to these drastic measures? The EMUHSD proposes to lay off 62 high school teachers despite the significant impact it will have on the students’ education. There should be other ways to deal with the budget cuts rather than affecting the students directly.

Right now, in some classes there are around 37 students to one teacher in a classroom. With the proposed layoffs, student’s will to learn and quality of education will decline. Test scores like the CST’s, benchmarks, and the CAHSEE will decrease considerably due to the lack of one-on-one time with a teacher. At this age, it is crucial for high school students to absorb as much knowledge as possible to be prepared for college. By laying off the teachers, the school district is sending a message saying that they don’t want their students to be prepared for college.

 The reality is, is that we need our teachers to be successful. New and experienced teachers love to collaborate and share ideas that work across the curriculum, all for the benefit of the students and their community.  We need all of our teachers to guarantee a quality education. Without our counselors and teachers to act as mentors, we fear that we will be a mere number to the district instead of an individual student with individual needs. If the district moves forward with the proposed 62 layoffs, there will be:
-62 fewer classrooms for us to do homework in afterschool.
-62 fewer classrooms to leave our things in because we don’t have lockers.
-62 fewer mentors to guide us when our families can’t.
-62 fewer teachers to help us improve our personal statements.
-62 fewer teachers to help us prepare for SAT’s and ACT’s.
-62 fewer teachers to encourage us to pass our CAHSEE in order to graduate.
-62 fewer mentors to tell us to go to college.

Schools include:

Rosemead High School
Arroyo High School
Mountain View High School
El Monte High School
South El Monte High School
Fernando R. Ledesma High School