Rafael Eduardo
The East Orange, NJ Board of Education voted on a budget-induced layoff back in October of this year, which is now taking effect. It was announced last Thursday at the board of education meeting where parents were struck with the reality of dwindling funds for public schools.
Approximately 100 school staff workers are losing jobs they thought they would retire from. The board alleges to have a multi-million-dollar gap that has been deepened by a lack of state funding.
The father of a student in the school district expressed concern with the future of her daughter’s education: “It’s very nerve-wracking to know that starting on Monday, my youngest has no support system in the school.”
Another parent was worrying about her child not having her 1-on-1 teacher’s aide anymore. A teacher from another school district, an NJEA (New Jersey Education Association) union leader, told a volunteer with The Worker, “What is going on in East Orange is going on in school districts throughout New Jersey and seems to be the trend nationally.”
In an already under-funded school district, this represents another attack on a predominantly Black proletarian city.
Photo: Parents and teachers protest the layoffs and cuts announced by the East Orange school board during a public meeting in October 2024. Credit: Jelani Gibson
