Kaboom! Firing Cannon Fires the Cannon

CATHERINE CHIANG

Opinions Editor

For most, the last day of the 2009-10 school year was a happy day. Students walked out of AHS’ gates, unaware that one of campus’ most beloved faculty members wouldn’t be there to greet them when they returned. Terry Cannon, recognized just two days earlier as Employee of the Year, was let go, along with 17 library technicians, health assistants and custodians.

Let us take a moment for the irony to sink in.

Of course, this is not the first time budget cuts have taken their toll. They have cost our school, and many others, valuable resources—most notably, good teachers and other school employees. However, Cannon’s story is the ultimate example of the difficulties California schools are facing.

Cannon was a librarian at AHS for five years and was awarded the honor of Employee of the Year on June 16. Though Cannon had been anticipating the possibility of reduced hours, being laid off two days later was completely unexpected. Apparently, the district lacked the funds to retain his position, though without it the remaining librarian would have double the workload. However, there are better ways to save money than eliminating valuable jobs—how many new floors and buildings do we really need?

“Our superintendent says that she is just following what all the other districts are doing,” said Cannon. “But if I’m a parent of a student in our district, I want them to think out-of-the-box, come up with innovative ideas to save programs and jobs, and I do not think that is being done.”

Though the district may be trying to minimize losses, the programs and jobs cut are a vital part of the high school experience. When students worry about their favorite extracurricular activities being eliminated or which teachers they won’t see the following year, chances are morale is going to be low. There’s talk about raising school spirit, but kids will not have pride in a school that is falling apart program by program.

AHS has the largest public high school library in Southern California. That’s something to be proud of—yet, the district cuts funding from the staff that runs it. According to Cannon, the library is an essential resource because it’s where students learn research skills. If we are unable to develop the abilities needed, how will we ever be able to compete in college and our future workplace?

“Without a fully functioning library, meaning reasonable hours, current materials, and adequate staffing, students are at a tremendous disadvantage in their education,” said Cannon.

So what’s next? Classes have been cut, such as Health and Safety/Career Pathways last year and AP Statistics this year. Funding for VAPA programs, such as Marching Band, has been reduced. The only things left to be excited about at AHS are our new gum-free floors and a pretty science building. Sure, it’s nice to walk the hallways without feeling sticky gum-bumps under your shoes, but kids don’t come to school for that. They come to school for the fun classes—that may be cut; their favorite teachers—who may be laid off; and the extracurricular activities—if the funding is still available.

There is hope that perhaps Cannon’s situation will bring attention to this cause, and maybe future educational boards will be comprised of former students who have felt the effects of budget cuts firsthand. But right now, we just have to hope that our school won’t be stripped of programs and employees, reduced to the bare minimum while we are expected to ingest unappetizing lessons.