The letters have been coming in a steady stream for three weeks. Hundreds of them. To local media outlets, the school board, the county council -- anyone who will listen. "Fund the schools budget immediately," they demand.

Parents are protesting a controversial proposal in Anne Arundel County to leave 200 teaching positions vacant to help the school system save $12 million and weather a particularly austere budget year. It's Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell's proposal, but county council members here are miffed that they've received the brunt of the criticism. The council's chairwoman blasted district officials yesterday for running "one hell of a PR scam" and accused them of using dirty tactics (i.e. rueful parent and student letters) to manipulate and pressure the county government to fully fund the district's request for a $100 million increase.

Check out my story in today's Anne Arundel section to see more of the sharp exchange. Also, this list shows how many teaching positions some schools would lose if Maxwell's proposal becomes reality. Parents are most worried that the empty teaching vacancies would lead to larger class sizes. The schools that would lose staff have the number in parentheses.

Post a comment and tell me what you think of the bureaucratic bickering and of the possibility of lost teachers in Arundel schools.