Sanders says the district is facing challenges on a number of fronts: too many schools for a declining student population, a substantial budget shortfall, and poor academic performance at about three quarters of district schools. Among the remedies sanders proposes is the shuttering of 18 schools across the district. But will that be enough to meet the 53 million dollar budget gap?
SANDERS: No, the school closures alone will not be able to address the 53 million dollar deficit number, so we need to be creative in how we streamline the overall organization.
Streamlining is another way of saying--job cuts but exactly how many teachers, principals or other staff are to be let go--Sanders isn't saying yet.
He does acknowledge though that cutting teaching positions and re-assigning others is problematic in the context of a labor contract that prioritizes seniority above performance in the classroom. He says he'd prefer a situation where teachers are placed based on their abilities.
SANDERS: Well, this is where the transformation rubber meets the road. We have to find a way to say that what we have been doing has not led us to the success that we want.
The Cleveland Teachers Union is not closing the door on relaxing seniority rules but says it would be unfair to base retention solely on student performance.
Dan Moulthrop, 90.3