More Students Protest Teacher Layoffs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - There were more protests Tuesday over the District's decision to lay off hundreds of teacher. This time, angry crowds took their concerns directly to City Hall.

The move to bridge a $44 million budget shortfall is drawing a lot of criticism, especially from students who say the layoffs have disrupted their classes. More than 200 students from Spinguarn Senior High School in Northeast Washington made their voices heard both outside and inside City Hall. The protest even drew the attention of several city council members.

"If what we are doing for education reform doesn't work then we have failed," said City Councilman Harry Thomas Jr.

Students like Donika Burrows say the firing of at least 20 teachers from their school has disrupted classes. Her AP English teacher was let go, so two classes have been combined into one.

"So we all have to pile up in that one class 'til they find another teacher, and its stopping us from learning," says Burrows.

Sophomore Steven Mahoghany says they were given no warning and now many of their favorite teaches are gone, now replaced with substitutes.

"There are more substitutes than regular teachers at our school," says Mahoghany.

Nathan Saunders with the teachers union that helped organize Tuesday's event believes the teachers should be brought back so these students can continue to learn.

"These are the kind of changes that if they are going to occur, they should happen over a period of time or possibly over the summer so no disruption of student services occur," says Saunders.

The teachers' union is planning to file a lawsuit over the layoffs.

All together, 388 district employees lost their jobs, and 229 of those were teachers.