LA Unified’s John Deasy on funding cuts: ‘Kids deserve so much better’

Los Angeles High School. Photo by waltarrrrr via Flickr/Creative Commons.

UPDATED 8/14/12:

Today is the first day of school for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Over the next few weeks, millions of students and teachers around California will be getting ready for the start of the new school year; and as teachers and staff gear up for another year of English, history, algebra, what-have-you, they’re facing another, bigger challenge—how to provide a quality education after several years of budget cuts, brought on by the state’s financial crisis. KCRW’s Chery Glaser talked to LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy about the impact the funding cuts are having on his district. “In the last 5 years more than 12,000 employees have lost their jobs,” Deasy said.

The impact of state budget cuts on the LAUSD goes beyond laying off teachers and cutting course offerings: This year, it’s even affecting the school calendar. In part two of our interview, we look at the two K-12 education-funding measures on California’s fall ballot and the implications for the district if they do, or do not, pass.