Chicago Public Schools sends out layoff notifications

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago Public Schools officials have started notifying hundreds of teachers and support staffers that they will be laid off at the end of the school year but that most of them will eventually be re-hired.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that CPS started sending notifications to 220 teachers and 498 support staffers on Friday as part of an annual shuffle as principles throughout the district eliminate positions in response to declining enrollment and other issues.

CPS spokeswoman Emily Bolton says in a statement that the "annual staffing adjustment process" is being done early enough to provide principals time to fill 700 teaching and staff positions by the next school year.

But Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey criticized the move and vowed to "fight for every member impacted by these layoffs."