Navigating the Learning Curve: ELD Job Retention, School Changes for Teachers Amidst Excessing”
Freshly back from winter break, San Diego ELD Unified teacher Ryan Bradford received disheartening news: he was facing excessing. In only his third year of teaching, counting his yearlong student-teacher stint, and his second at City Heights’ Hoover High, Bradford found himself grappling with an unexpected turn of events.
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Teachers often say, “you don’t really know what you’re doing until you’re at least five years in,” a sentiment Bradford humorously echoed. Just as he felt he was finding his stride, the prospect of being excessed felt like having the rug pulled out from under him.
Excessing, a term in the extensive jargon of the education system, occurs when teachers are relocated from their schools due to low enrollment or funding shortages. Unlike the dreaded layoffs, excessed teachers retain their jobs but are transferred to a different school requiring an educator with their specific credentials.
Bradford anticipates being in this situation. Having taught in an English Language Development (ELD) class—a term denoting teaching English to students unfamiliar with the language—he valued the experience and support of Hoover’s ELD team, describing it as an “incubator of knowledge.” However, with the excessing, he expects to be moved to a standard English class elsewhere in the district, aligning with his credentials. Despite preparing for the transition, he has grown attached to his ELD students.
Describing his ELD students as newcomers, many in the United States for less than six months with limited English proficiency, Bradford expressed the joy of building a foundation with them. He finds it humbling to work with these eager-to-learn students, emphasizing the positive impact of familiarity, especially in a new country.
Receiving an excess notice doesn’t mandate immediate packing; teachers can be transferred twice a year—between school years or by October 31 in the fall. The district has not provided information on the future placements of teachers who received excess notices.
While job retention is a relief, challenges arise as San Diego Unified faces looming budget deficits. The excessed teachers must adapt to a new school environment, a process akin to a rite of passage. Bradford highlighted that almost every teacher he knows has experienced excessing at some point, emphasizing its basis on seniority, making newer teachers more vulnerable.
Experienced teachers, however, possess certain levers, such as “seniority rights,” allowing them to potentially shift excessing to less senior colleagues. Bradford, despite the excess notice, remains committed to teaching, experiencing professional satisfaction and introspection. He acknowledged missing the unique experience of working with Hoover’s students, especially designing engaging activities for his ELD class, emphasizing an asset-based mindset when working with refugees or immigrants.
