Silicon Valley leaders in uproar over Office of Education mass layoffs

A growing number of Silicon Valley residents – joined by state and federal lawmakers – are questioning the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s motives for decimating scores of programs and hundreds of teaching jobs serving the region’s most vulnerable children. Teachers, labor leaders and county officials gathered outside the Office of Education Tuesday calling for the reversal of more than 250 educator layoffs affecting low-income preschoolers, migrants and special education students. “Despite starting this fiscal year with $99 million in reserves, SCCOE announced arbitrary and capricious layoffs that will destroy essential and mandated services,” Sarah Gianocaro, the SEIU 521…