BREAKING NEWS!!!

So, I found out this morning from one of my ALT friends on my BoE that the funding for Prefectural ALTs will be cut in Aug. - meaning we can no longer re-contract with the Prefecture -Niigata ken. Let's all keep our fingers crossed we can become Municipal ALTs and find a city who wants us! It's scary thinking I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to recontract and that i might not be able to b/c a job couldn't be found. So stressful!!!! This info. is pretty much the truth- I've already had a friend down south mention how TODAY her Principal had a meeting with her letting her know she already couldn't re-contract with them and another one of my friends said Ian (Our PA) will be calling all Prefectural ALTs within the week talking about out own personal positions. SCARY!!!

Here's a part of the email...

"I just came in to the office an hour ago or so, and Mr. Abe told me about the ALT budget situation. The prefectural office's FINAL decision won't be until February 20th, but they are saying that the prefectural ALT budget for August 2006 and onwards is basically axed. That is, there will be no more prefectural ALTs. This is a move that we knew they were moving towards, but it is a little surprising that they did it in one fell swoop.
As things stand now, Rachel and I cannot continue JET, and several of our other Kaetsu ALTs are planning to return to their home countries. If you would like to re-contract (and a few of our Kaetsu ALTs do), then the prefectural office will contact various city/municipal offices (local boards of education, such as Niigata city, Nagaoka, etc) and try to find new positions for you. If that position is in Niigata city, you would be able to stay at your aparment, but if the new schools were in a different part of Niigata, you would have to move.
I'm sorry to send this somewhat bleak information to you, and I do wish I could tell you more concrete information, like when they would let you know about a new job, where it might be, the chances of them finding something... but that's all that Mr. Abe told me this morning. The only thing I can personally think of to do would be to talk to your JTEs and maybe the vice-principal or principal of your schools, so that they might call friends they have in high places and perhaps swing the balance for you. Word of mouth is the most powerful weapon in Japan, and I know several ALTs who finished prefectural positions and transfered into city/municipal positions without changing schools.
My advice would be this; think about if you'd like to stay on in Niigata-ken, even if your schools/house might change, and have a chat with some teachers you have a good relationship with at your schools, and see if they have any suggestions."