California Voter Initiative Results In Fewer Teacher Layoffs.

The Huffington Post (3/14, Resmovits) reports on some "relatively good news" in California, where "less than one-eighth of the number of teachers who got pink-slipped last year will be out of work next year." According to the California Teachers Association, the Post reports, only 2,400 RIF notices went out this year, as compared with 20,000 last year. "The change follows California voters' passage in November of Proposition 30, which permanently raises income taxes on the wealthy while temporarily increasing the sales tax by a quarter of a penny in order to raise $6 billion in school and university funding."

California Teachers Protest District's Class Size, Pay Reduction Plans.

The Fremont (CA) Bulletin (3/15, Barry) reports that "hundreds of teachers" in Fremont, California, marched on district offices "in a protest to lower class sizes and increase their salaries." The protest comes after the union "declared a bargaining impasse March 5 following a year of negotiations with the district. FUDTA now believes negotiations have reached a point where the differences in positions are so substantial that future meetings would be futile."