Rallies decrying layoffs of Anaheim school teachers continue as dozens await rescission letters

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- Following a rally Tuesday morning against planned teacher layoffs of more than 100 secondary education, the Superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District said some of the teachers would be receiving rescission letters.

Support came from the community Tuesday morning outside Oxford Academy: honking and cheering for secondary educators in Anaheim kicking off rallies opposing planned layoffs.

Math teacher Randy Douthat was one of 253 to get a notice.

"I understand that they have declining enrollment. The part that bothered me was that they did not plan ahead. They've known about this for many, many years," Douthat said.

The original plan was to lay off 10% -- that's 119 of 1,259 teachers with the AUHSD.

May 15 was the deadline for the board of trustees to change its decision.

The district's superintendent, Michael Matsuda, said the layoffs were because of the expiration of federal funding at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and a drop in student enrollment. Matsuda's recorded message was posted on the district's YouTube channel last month.

"With one-time funds, we have maintained the same number of teachers in 2023-24, that we had in 2017-18, despite a nearly 35 hundred decrease in enrollment. Put another way, the district has lost the equivalent of a high school and a junior-high-school-worth of students in this time frame," Matsuda said.

The president of the Anaheim Secondary Teacher's Association Geoff Morganstern, said the reduction of teachers would have an effect on the entire community.

"Class sizes are going to go up. Opportunities are going to be lost for students and we firmly believe that teachers being in the classroom, building relationships with their students is the way for success in education," Morganstern said.

Tuesday afternoon, an update came in a recorded message from the Superintendent of the AUHSD: rescission letters were on the way to 26 teachers.

"This positive development is a direct result of our review process, which includes assessing our master schedule, staffing needs, and the consideration of retirements and resignations. In addition, we are preparing to issue additional rescission letters later this week," Matsuda said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Morganstern said he had yet to hear from any association membership of the receipt of rescission letters and rallies twice a week at various junior and high schools would continue through May 15. A rally was scheduled for Wednesday morning, outside Lexington Junior High School.