MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- MPS Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius is staying the course despite another round of heated attacks from the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA), the union representing district educators.

The battle is over position cuts the district says will help address a budget deficit of nearly $50 million.

The union wants a special board meeting to, among other things, reverse the staffing cuts and delay the budgeting process until after the fall.

But the superintendent says waiting is not an option and the deficit will only worsen.

That's not stopping the union from taking aim.

Ingrid Walker-Henry, the president of MTEA, said Monday, "What we're asking for is intervention right now."

The union raised the heat in questioning Cassellius' leadership and the direction of the district.

Walker-Henry claimed, "From the beginning, this process has not been transparent."

The union and partner organizations held an impromptu news conference outside MPS headquarters Monday, April 6.

The groups also wrote a letter to the school board and the MPS Office of Accountability and Efficiency.

The letter details "eroding trust," "leadership failures," "organizational destabilization," and a "growing disconnect" that have led to "chaos, confusion, and cuts."

While the district is not cutting any in-classroom teachers, they are cutting some paraprofessionals and vice principals.

Walker-Henry says those positions are critical to child learning. "I'm going to be honest, I'm infuriated."

But she stopped short of calling for change.

Twice we asked directly, "Do you want Dr. Cassellius out as superintendent?"

Walker-Henry declined to answer, saying instead, "What we're here today is we're calling on the board and office of accountability and efficiency to look at the process that is happening."

The union's announcement forced Cassellius to address some of the claims, but she did not fight fire with fire, saying instead of the union, "It's been a respectful relationship."

The reality has not changed: the district is still $46 million in debt this year and not taking any action will only make it worse.

Cassellius said, "When you have this large of a deficit, you have to take the time and attention and be very responsible with the budget."

She told us again Monday the district has examined third party contracts despite the union's claims to the contrary, and already identified areas to save.

And no layoffs are happening during this school year.

She said she started this cycle's budget planning process earlier than has ever been done before to allow schools and staffers to prepare for what may come.

"That is respectful to the employees," Cassellius said, "because now they have time to make decisions over the next three months."

Cassellius maintains she's been upfront about the budget challenges all along, as well as the need for potentially painful solutions.

At the end of the interview she said, "Appreciate the pressure [from the union] and the accountability and the partnership. And just continue to work at that."

The next MPS regular board meeting is April 23.