It has to start today.

If we're going to prevent teacher layoffs from tearing at the heart of the Simi Valley school district, it's going to take hard work and sacrifice on the part of everyone, including the teachers.

We can't afford to sit on our hands while screaming at the state to change its mind about the $8.4 billion it's cutting from education or waiting for federal money or budget propositions to save the day.

While many would agree that the cuts went too deep, it's clear the state is hemorrhaging and the Sacramento legislators have to do something about it. Let's save our breath placing blame, because there's plenty to go around.

By today's end more than 200 Simi teachers will have received notice that they're not guaranteed a job in the district for the 2009-10 school year. Though the actual number of layoffs will likely be far fewer, it's tough to stomach the thought that a quarter of Simi's teaching force has to spend the next few months wondering if they'll soon be without a job.

School board members must be leaders and get back to work slashing from the budget every penny that isn't absolutely necessary to continue the high quality of our kids' education. Everything's on the table—including sports. It must consider employee furlough days, suspension of programs and administrative layoffs—anything that might mean a few more of our teachers stay in the district.

Just as important, the local teachers union must agree to give up some of its benefits in exchange for its members' jobs. It's the rising cost of healthcare, after all, that has been squeezing the state's education system for years. Difficult compromises must be made, but it's worth it if means keeping 10 or 20 more teachers in our schools and our community.

Older residents like to remind younger ones how this country survived for more than 200 years with little one-room country schoolhouses as the backbone of the education system.

While times have changed a great deal since then, let's not forget that there really are only two absolute essentials for unleashing the power of learning: a teacher and students. We should do everything in our power to shield both of them from the current economic storm.