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Laid Off D.C. Teachers Wait on Judge's Ruling

November 6, 2009
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DC Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff says she'll issue a written ruling sometime next week on whether teachers in D.C. who were laid off, should be reinstated to their former positions. At an all day hearing, attorneys for the Washington Teachers Union said the almost 300 teachers and support staff were laid off because of a "manufactured deficit."

George Parker, president of the WTU, says this was not a Reduction in Force or RIF, rather, a "mass discharge" camoflagued as a RIF. "Becasue to do that they could circumvent the union countract that could guarantee teacher's due process rights."

But attorneys for DC Public Schools insist it was a RIF, and that the lay offs happened only because of budgetary pressures. And they say under RIF rules, they don't have to go to arbitration.

Lisa Ruda, the Chief of Staff for DCPS says if these teachers were put back on the rolls, other teachers or support staff would have to be laid off for a balanced budget.

Kavitha Cardoza reports...

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