Mayberry Street Teacher Stays Upbeat Despite A Pink Slip

Art Avina has only been teaching at Echo Park's for eight years. That makes the University of California at Berkeley graduate the least senior of all the teachers at Mayberry. It also makes him the only teacher at Mayberry to have received a "reduction in force" notice--or RIF--from the Los Angeles Unified School District this calendar year. 

Avina's RIF is a warning, telling him that he could be laid off June 30, depending on how the LAUSD resolves its budget issues. The RIFs are a ritual that the school system goes through every year, according to state law. They go out on a "last-hired, first-fired" seniority basis. Not everyone who gets one loses a job. But this year's budget crunch is particularly crunchy, with more than 7,300 employees at more than a thousand schools getting the notices.

And it's not only teachers who have been affected.  Librarians, media experts, counselors and nurses are also dealing with the extra pressure that comes with a pink slip.

Outgoing schools superintendent Ramon Cortines has asked each principal in the LAUSD to meet with parents and explain the budgetary issues the system faces, as well as how to reach out to politicians--including the governor, who wants voters to consider a tax extension that could send extra money to the schools.

Mayberry's principal Rose Eshaq is holding her meeting Friday morning. Arturo Avina won't be there. He'll be busy, teaching the 23 sixth-graders in his class.

But this week the bilingual Art did take make time for Echo Park Patch, answering questions about the dilemma he and the other LAUSD employees with RIFs face.

Patch: What was the UTLA  meeting you were at Tuesday like for the RIFed teachers? How were people feeling?

Our meeting on Tuesday was organized to discuss the RIF appeals process and to address the questions and concerns of RIFed UTLA members.  UTLA secretary Betty Forrester and a lawyer representing UTLA were there to explain the situation to us.  Overall, teachers were feeling anxious, confused, angry and disillusioned.  The tone was very serious, and the mood was somewhat somber.  It’s very demoralizing being in this situation.

Patch: Did being there make you feel better or worse about your own situation?

I attended the meeting hoping to feel better about this potential layoff situation, but I did not.  I wanted to hear that our pink slips would most likely be taken back.  We did not.  Nobody can make any solid statements, so I would say I felt a little worse after the meeting because of the uncertainty.  We know that the district most likely over-RIFed teachers.  However, UTLA was hesitant to say what percentage was over-RIFed.  It’s going to depend on what the union can negotiate with the district.  They also implied that many of our jobs could be saved if the tax extension are put on the ballot and approved by voters in June.  At this point, it looks like a very big “if.”  In short, we do not know what is going to happen.

Patch: Does UTLA seem to have a strategy for dealing with the record number of RIFs going out?

As far as I know, the strategy will be to fight the RIFs in court hearings due to take place in May.  UTLA will also negotiate with the district so that if any extra money becomes available, the priority will be to save teaching positions.  UTLA is also encouraging teachers, parents, and community members to participate in upcoming demonstrations.

Patch: How much was the situation about the state's takeback discussed? 

It was not.
 
Patch: How did people at Mayberry react when they heard about your notice?

My colleagues were very sorry to hear about it.  So were the parents.  After eight years of being at my site, this community has also become my family.  We work well together and are very supportive of each other.  At our particular school site, the salt in the wound is not only the fact that I’ve been RIFed, but the fact that we are potentially displacing up to five dedicated and talented teachers due to the proposed class-size increases. It’s not just me.  It’s a group of us that will be leaving this little oasis known as Mayberry.  We love Mayberry, it’s a wonderful school, and the thoughts of leaving it breaks our hearts.  You can also tell that many of the students are disappointed about this as well.   It’s demoralizing to the staff and parents, but more importantly, I believe increased burden on the remaining teachers will negatively affect the students.

Patch: Describe what a day in your life at Mayberry is like.

I usually arrive a little early, sometime between 7 and 7:30 a.m. I take that time to gather the materials I will need for the day.  I pick up my students at 8 a.m., and we begin our day with book clubs and homework check.  I team-teach with Ms. Folker, so we mix the students all day.  I’ll teach two periods of math after we complete our morning business.  Depending on what’s on my plate that day, I’ll sometimes work through recess or lunch.  In the afternoon, I teach a period of science while Ms. Folker teaches social studies.  At the end of the day, we assign homework and wrap up any business we need to take care of. 

I’ll sometimes stay after school for a bit to plan for the next day or to just take care of paperwork.  If it’s the time of year when I’m working on a play or a talent show, I’ll spend time after school rehearsing with the students.  I take work home almost every day, so in the evening I’ll be correcting papers, researching lesson plans online, or pulling ideas from various books and manuals.

Patch: You mentioned you are active in extracurricular things at the school. Could you describe that in a little more detail?

Many of us put in extra time into our school to make it shine.  Most teachers volunteer at events held throughout the school year, such as Dr. Seuss Night, Math Night and our annual Mayberry Fiesta event.  I particularly enjoy playing the Cat in the Hat during our Dr. Seuss Night.  Three years ago I began Mayberry Masterpiece Theater, and for the last three years I have worked with students after school to put on a play.  This year, Mrs. Villalobos and I tried something new and worked together to organize a talent show.   Ms. Folker, who is also set to be displaced, organized a kids marathon club and has done gardening with the kids as well.  Other teachers have organized yoga classes, dance classes, cooking and arts and crafts.  These are all things that we do voluntarily to contribute to our school and community.   There is a high level of volunteerism at our school, which I am afraid will diminish next year when there will be fewer teachers that will be asked to do more and more with less and less. 

Patch: Have you always wanted to be a teacher?

No, although I had an inkling in college.  I always knew I wanted to work with children.  I studied psychology with the intention of becoming a child psychologist.  When I was in school I took education classes and mentored children after school, and I enjoyed it very much. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I realized what my calling was.  I went to bed one night and literally had a dream about being a teacher.  I woke up feeling so inspired and elated that I applied for a Mentor Program Coordinator position at Selma Elementary that same morning, and I actually began work the next day. Working at this school site with students and teachers proved to be a very rewarding experience, and it sealed the deal for me.   That same year I began the process of applying for my credentialing program and I began teaching at Mayberry the following year.

Patch: What WOULD you do if you were laid of by LAUSD?

I would wear vintage T-shirts and become a care-free Echo Park hipster!  In all honesty, I would HATE to leave the education field.  I would probably work as a substitute or try to find a job at a private school, although it’s slim pickings out there.  I would also consider going back to school to explore other career options.

Patch: It will be a while before anything concrete happens regarding the layoffs.  What will you be doing professionally and personally to get through this time?

The best I can do is focus on the present and enjoy it.  I am trying my best not to think about the RIF because if I allow myself to do that, I will begin to shut down.  My focus right now is my students, and, for their sake, I cannot allow myself to shut down while I have them.  I am here to complete my job, and I will.  So I will continue to focus on teaching and ending the school year on a high note.  It will be business as usual, and I will try not to worry about things I cannot control.  And if I start to feel down, a bar of chocolate always helps.