Younger Teachers are the First to Go During Budget Cuts

While many teachers are facing the prospect of losing their jobs due to budget cuts, those who have been teaching for the longest amount of time have been relatively safe in New York City. Here’s why:
The teachers’ union in NYC has protected teachers with the most seniority from layoffs in the past. However, a new bill might cause some changes to the city’s policy, concerning who is fired and who gets to keep their jobs during budget cuts.
New York City’s public school system may have to lay off up to 8,500 teachers next year because the city is facing a budget cut somewhere between $600 million and $1.2 billion. Under the current law, the youngest and newest teachers would be the first to go, a policy known as “last in, first out.” The new bill that is being proposed would not count seniority as the most important issue, concerning which teachers should remain and which should be laid off.
The school chancellor, Joel Klein, thinks this might be the best option.
“Experience matters, but it cannot be the sole or even principal factor considered in layoff decisions,” he said. “We must be able to take into account each individual’s track record of success.”
When you consider that some New York public school teachers are not exactly doing the best job possible (see the below article), maybe it is best to consider each teacher based off his or her merit as an educator.
So how would they decide who had the qualifications to stay and teach?
The bill proposes that each school form a committee of teachers, administrators and parents. This committee would determine which teachers should be laid off, and would also allow each school to “decide their own special needs,” according to State Senator, Rubén Díaz.
Via NY Times
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