25 of Escondido’s newest high school teachers have a reason to worry.  25 notices will go out in the mail addressed to 25 teachers that will be out of jobs in 25 positions that will no longer exist after this school year.  The hard decision comes because the Escondido Union High School District faces a loss of nearly $3 million in state funds starting on July 1.  Of course Escondido is not alone, neighboring school districts as well as many around the state are being forced to cut back resources and lay off employees.  This proves, as it has been proved repeatedly in the past that education is the real loser when the state and the country as a whole face a budget crisis.

What is perhaps most troubling is that these are our children,  and our children are our future, which is a phrase that is probably overused but apparently not heeded.  California still ranks low on the chart in terms of student performance and it also ranks low in the ability of these students to reach their full potential of success in the real world.  Politicians tout the importance of placing stricter hiring procedures for teachers and instituting the use of more and more standardized tests,  yet repeatedly it seems, child after child is left behind.  Whenever it’s time to trim the budget, school resources and teachers are the first to go.  This should not only be a concern for teachers and for parents, but also for people who would like to have children someday, and even for those that don’t.  This should be one of the primary concerns of every citizen who cares for the future of our race and the future of our planet.