A group of dedicated teachers, counselors and our very important High School to Career coordinators received their pink slips today (Fri., March 13).

These cuts couldn't do more harm. They are at the sites, the schools. The individuals who received the pink slips work directly with students.

At Westlake High School, our outstanding coordinator Laurie Looker works tirelessly, always for the benefit of her students.

The teachers in her Westlake Information and Technology program (WIT), put in extra time and effort to work with our students.

This valuable program is a technology-based, college-prep grant program. It offers job shadowing experience and internships with help from local businesses in Ventura and L.A. counties.

Our son, Brian, has gained invaluable applicable tech knowledge and on-the-job experience from this program. It's made a profound, positive difference in his four years of public high school.

Technologybased, collegeprep education and schooltocareer programs are our future, the evolution of public education.

Four-year liberal arts colleges are preparing students for an empty job market and huge personal debt.

We need to move forward with these types of programs, not cut them to protect state and local district jobs and hefty benefit packages. Almost every corporation and small business in America has examined their benefit structure and made tough but necessary cuts or charged their employees more for healthcare. The school district and the state employee unions must do the same.

These horrendous budget cuts shouldn't be at the local sites.

Our tax money needs to stay in the classrooms for teachers, counselors, schooltocareer coordinators, where it directly supports the students. Sue Levy and Ken Leon Thousand Oaks

Leon is president of the WIT booster club, and Levy is vice president. Levy serves on the Los Cerritos Middle School PTSA.