Dive Brief:

• WIVB 4 reported on Friday that New York's Buffalo Public School District had laid off 69 employees.
• The layoffs — which include 12 English Language Arts teachers, 12 math teachers, 10 science teachers, 11 social studies teachers, 10 reading teachers, four guidance counselors, two art teachers, two hearing-impaired teachers, and six deans of students — comes less than a month before schools open.
• In a statement, the district said that the move is a "right-sizing" effort following changes made at various schools, and that an analysis following the filing of retirement and disability notices was used in the process.

Dive Insight:

Factors playing into the "right-sizing" included Bennett High School cutting a ninth grade class and School #115's move to Harvey Austin #97. Phil Rushmore, president of the Buffalo Teacher Federation, called the move "unconscionable" — though it must still be approved by the city's school board. That board's head, Jim Sampson, told WIVB that its members, as well as parents and taxpayers, should be asking themselves whether the district's administration is becoming too top-heavy at the expense of teachers.