SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A plan to essentially force 16 Lemon Grove teachers to resign was approved Tuesday night in a 3-2 vote.
The Lemon Grove School District informed the teachers that it would move in a different direction at the end of this school year. The teachers were at the district for two years, the end of their probationary period. Any more time and they would become permanent.
The district says it will replace those positions with new teachers for next year.
"Our governing board believes that each child deserves the very best," the district said in a statement. "We will continue to provide that to you in Lemon Grove School District."
"Why aren't we maintaining the teachers that have been here and have built relationships with our children? Built relationships with our parents? With our community," parent Rosa Carney said.
Angela Vento, who has four children in the district, said her 9-year-old son Joshua was upset when he found out his teacher would be let go.
"She's always there for him," Vento said. "He has epilepsy and she helps him through that."
Two teachers who asked to remain anonymous said the district gave them a choice of resigning, or being terminated with a non-renewal status. That status, the teachers said, is essentially a career killer. One teacher said all but one chose to resign.
