Teacher lay-offs

I work for the public school system right? Yes I do. I work for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. I've been hearing so much recently about the recent budget cuts for California and all the teacher layoffs happening all around me and I don't know why. When Arnold became governor, he raised the educational budget and schools got more money than they ever did in California. But now some cuts have to be made and everyone is mad! It's understandable to be angry, but then again, the government is spending way too much on education! The only thing I disagree with is what they are changing to remedy this problem. Instead of cutting back on technology in the classrooms (like smart boards and powerpoints and computers for every student), they are cutting out people! Teachers! That's what's wrong! The link below is an article from the website of the place of my employment which sort of clears somet things up about what's actually happening to our teachers. http://www.sbcss.k12.ca.us/communications/comm_newsSM.php?id=424 Another thing I don't understand is why there are career opportunities all over the place in education if current teachers are being laid off right now. I am constantly getting e-mails from my employers about education career fairs and job opportunities and a plan to go about getting my credentials and what kind of programs I can get into. There is an educational career fair actually going on right outside the building I am in right now in fact. But then I go to work and all the teachers and assistants in the classroom talk about pink slips meaning you MIGHT be laid off and they are all worried about their current jobs! I talk to a good assistand friend of mine who is getting his credentials right now. The principle of the classroom told him earlier this year to get a provisional teaching license/contract so he could teach this year (because they were having a hard time finding a permanent teacher for the classroom) but now he's glad he didn't because those are the people they are laying off first! This whole is stupid and I'm right in the middle of it. It's hard. But it makes me glad that I'm getting my Degree in something other than education or liberal studies. My back up plan might actually come in handy, which really sucks.