In years past, teaching was always one of the few jobs that seemed immune to layoffs. However, this recession has changed that as school districts are facing deep budget cuts.

Durham Public Schools may have to resort to layoffs to cut out 10 percent of its budget. Charlotte's superintendent said teacher layoffs are likely as he cuts $60 million from next year's budget. In Wake County, 1,496 school system employees might not have their contracts renewed this June.

This weekend teacher cadets, high school students who want to be teachers, are gathering in Raleigh for a convention. Broughton High School senior Haley Jones said the career is in her blood.

"I've always wanted to be a teacher -- my mom's a teacher so I've grown up in a family of teachers," Jones said.

Despite the grim news in Wake County, Jones is staying positive like her peer, Broughton High School senior Glendale Newkirk.

"Hopefully when I get out of the college the economy will be better," Newkirk said.

It's a different story for their mentor, Julia Royal, a French teacher at the school.

"People are really worried, teachers are really scared," Royal said.

Royal is tenured, which means her contract is not up this June and she is most likely safe, but she still has concerns.

"I am concerned for other colleagues," Royal said.

Jennifer Lanane, President of the Wake County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said this is the first time the county has had to look at a reduction in work force. With an estimated 2,300 additional students entering the school system next year, she said schools will suffer if the five percent reduction the county is preparing for becomes reality.

"To me that translates to larger class sizes, less services," Lanane said. "We have one of the best school systems in the nation and this is really, really going to affect the kind of education people are used to getting around here."

Lanane believes Wake County has been as proactive as it possibly can.

"Now it's really up to the state legislature to get moving and tell us what kind of money schools are going to have," she said.

If the General Assembly does not cut as much money as school officials are anticipating there is a chance teachers and support staff whose contracts are terminated could be re-hired.