LISTEN: Teacher Layoffs: What They Mean For You And Your Kids

LISTEN: Teacher Layoffs - What They Mean For You And Your Kids

Teacher contracts expire in many places Friday, and for many teachers, those contracts won't be picked back up. State budget deficits and increased cuts are taking their toll on school districts around the country. In Milwaukee, 354 teachers are going to be laid off. In Chicago, a thousand. Smaller school districts are losing positions too. Robert Siegel speaks with Sean Cavanagh, who covers state education policy for Education Week, about the cuts -- and what they mean for the upcoming school year.

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

For a lot of teachers around the country, today is their first day out of a job. Teacher contracts expired last night in many school districts. And state and city budget deficits have forced big cuts. In Milwaukee, 354 teachers are being laid off. In Chicago, a thousand; another thousand in Philadelphia.

American education is so decentralized it's hard to get a fix on what's happening nationally. But that's what Sean Cavanagh tries to do. He covers state education policy for Education Week, and joins us now.

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