SAISD teachers' union profiling educators recommended for termination

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Alliance Of Teachers And Support Personnel has launched a social media campaign profiling educators who were recommended for termination as part of the San Antonio Independent School District's reduction in force.

On Tuesday, the district began notifying educators they could resign, or be recommended for termination.

SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price said the teachers recommended for termination were determined based on performance evaluations. The cuts were made due to a multi-million dollar budget shortfall caused by a decrease in enrollment, according to Price.

Price said the educators will be employed by the district through the end of the year. The district estimated it would recommend approximately 60 teachers for termination. Price added that, separately, the district will be terminating some probationary teachers, although that number is unknown.

The district is also looking at staff reductions in central office and campus administration.

According to Price, the district is down 2,000 students and is expected to lose 800 students next year. The decline in enrollment has created a $31 million revenue loss.

San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel President Shelley Potter told KSAT on Tuesday that the termination notices "came completely out of the blue" for some educators.

"(There's a lot of) disbelief, a lot of tears, people saying, 'I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm a single mom,' or 'I don't know what I'm going to do, I have a mortgage to pay.' I think (there is) some anger as well because of choices the district has made and not made," Potter said.

So far, the San Antonio Alliance has profiled eight educators of the dozens who, they said, have anywhere between one to 33 years of experience. Educator profiles can be found on the San Antonio Alliance's Facebook page.

The school board still has to approve the termination of teachers on the reduction in force list, which will be discussed at a board meeting on Monday night.