The expiration of COVID-19 relief funds has led to widespread job losses among teachers and school staff across the United States. This development is particularly detrimental to diversity efforts within the education sector, as many of the affected staff are from diverse backgrounds.
Key Takeaways
The expiration of COVID-19 relief funds is causing widespread job losses among teachers and school staff.
Newer teachers, often from diverse backgrounds, are the first to be laid off due to "last-in-first-out" policies.
Schools serving low-income students are the hardest hit.
The loss of staff is expected to negatively impact student support and diversity in schools.
The Impact of Expiring COVID-19 Relief Funds
Erica Popoca, a ninth-grade English teacher in Hartford, Connecticut, faced termination when the COVID-19 relief funds that covered her salary dried up. Although her district eventually found alternative funding to retain her, many other teachers and staff across the U.S. are not as fortunate. The Biden administration had granted schools $189.5 billion through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) under the American Rescue Plan Act. However, schools must commit the remaining funds by the end of September, and non-teaching staff roles can no longer be funded after September 30.
Widespread Layoffs and Their Consequences
A survey by the nonprofit research group Rand found that teacher reductions were the most common budget cut anticipated by district leaders. For example, Montana's Helena Public Schools cut 36 positions, including 21 teachers, while the Arlington Independent School District in Texas cut 275 positions, including counselors and teaching support staff. These layoffs are particularly disruptive for students who have built relationships with these staff members over the years.
The Diversity Setback
States that have "last-in-first-out" policies, which protect tenured teachers, are seeing a significant impact on diversity. Newer teachers, who are often more diverse, are the first to be laid off. This is a setback for states that have made efforts to diversify their educator workforce in recent years. Schools serving low-income students, which received more federal relief money, are also the hardest hit.
The Human Element
Teachers like Francis Pina in Boston, who was hired to train teachers on social-emotional learning, are losing their jobs as their roles were funded by COVID-19 emergency money. Pina will return as a high school math teacher but is concerned about the future of the district's social-emotional learning program. The loss of diverse staff members is expected to negatively impact students of color, who perform better academically when they have teachers from diverse backgrounds.
Looking Ahead
Some lawmakers have tried to change how layoffs work to protect newer, more diverse staff, but have faced pushback from state teachers' unions. As a result, more new staffers of color are expected to face layoffs this year. Teachers like Popoca are relieved to return to their classrooms but remain concerned about the long-term impact of staff cuts on their students and schools.
The end of COVID-19 relief funds marks a challenging period for the education sector, with significant implications for job security and diversity among teachers and school staff.
Sources
New school staff losing jobs as COVID funding disappears, USA Today.
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