Sponsored link
Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Sponsored link

News + PoliticsEducationNew City College Board rescinds layoffs, sets plan for rebuilding the school

New City College Board rescinds layoffs, sets plan for rebuilding the school

Turns out the union's budget numbers were more accurate than the administration's.

-

With two new pro-labor trustees leading the way, the City College Board last week voted to overturn the layoffs that deeply damaged the education of hundreds of students last year.

Susan Solomon and Anita Martinez, who along with Vick Chung ran for office last fall as critics of the layoffs, put forward the resolution, which the board approved unanimously.

The three easily ousted incumbents John Rizzo, Brigitte Davila, and Thea Selby, who had voted for the layoffs.

Among the most interesting elements of this: The faculty union, AFT Local 2121, challenged the need for the layoffs last year, offering an alternative budget scenario—and it turns out the union was more accurate than the administration.

The school ended the year with a substantial surplus, that could have kept all of the full-time faculty on the job, and saved classes and programs that students badly needed.

“There was a waiting list of 300 people for English 1A, which is a requirement for everyone,” Martinez told me. “I talked to students who were ready to finish their program, but the person who taught a required class was laid off.”

Course offerings dropped over the past four years from 7,877 sections to 4,382 sections.

At the time of the layoff vote, the resolution states, the decision was based on the Board’s understanding that the District was “facing extraordinary financial circumstances and [needed to] make budget adjustments in order to ensure its continued operations.”

Sponsored link

Actually, “the District’s FY 22 audited actuals were fortunately later determined to be significantly improved over what was projected in the FY 22 budget.”

Clare Heimer, a math professor at the school, told me that the union carefully analyzed the budget and found all sorts of problems. “They told the board there was a deficit balance,” she said. But in fact, a lot of money was set aside for contracts and work that was never done, and millions were transferred out for a self-insurance fund that was already solvent. “There’s no other way to say it, they were squirreling that money away” while classes were being cut, Heimer said.

The union budget analysis states that

How did AFT have more accurate projections than two CPAs? Because layoffs were [Chancellor] David [Martin’s] end goal, and budget numbers and projections were contrived to support that goal.

David “assumes aggressive enrollment growth” without a credible plan to achieve it (e.g. sufficient FTEF growth). Teachers, counselors and librarians know what it takes: educational services offered, and a focus on recruitment and retention. The District cannot continue to invest in everything but the classroom (reserves, transfers, trust funds, supplies, consultants, etc.) and expect to grow.

The union’s proposed budget for next year leaves plenty of room for hiring faculty and expanding efforts to grow enrollment—which, in the end, is the only long-term solution for City College.

From the AFT press release:

Trustee Solomon and Martinez’s Resolution marks a new day for the college. In the words of Board President Alan Wong, “This is a moment to redeem ourselves.” It is a moment to build a college that is capable of meeting San Francisco’s demand for new skills, better jobs, and hope.

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our FacebookTwitter, and Instagram

Tim Redmond
Tim Redmond
Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years. He spent much of that time as executive editor of the Bay Guardian. He is the founder of 48hills.
Sponsored link
Sponsored link

Featured

SF weaponizes parking rules to displace RV families: 6 takeaways from El Tecolote’s blockbuster report

Winston Drive community of working class families was torn apart in 2024—and now Mayor Lurie intensifies the crackdown.

Remembering Sly Stone: Unreleased album to provide mourners with time capsule of genius

'The First Family: Live at Winchester Cathedral 1967' shows what we've lost.

Inspired by Sister Corita Kent, Terri Friedman’s meticulous weaves erupt into protest

Abstraction and the use of words illuminate the products of CCA teacher's looms.

More by this author

We need 100 more 48 Hills members to meet our spring goal!

Now is the time! Join us to save independent local media and stand up for San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Massive protests: Against Trump—and against the Lurie budget

Millions all over the country, including red states, oppose Trump. Plus: Brutal city budget comes down to the final weeks. That's The Agenda for June 15 to 22

The Lurie budget is great for bad cops

Proposal slashes funding for Department of Police Accountability, eliminates sheriff inspector general.
Sponsored link

You might also likeRELATED