|
| Date: | February 27, 2012 | | Contact Name: | Sandra Whalen | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5238 | | Contact Email: | sandra.whalen@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
|
| REFORMING TEACHER LAYOFF PROCESS BILL APPROVED IN SENATE Daley co-author of bill |
(ST. PAUL) – The Senate passed a bill Monday that will end Minnesota’s strict “Last In, First Out” (LIFO) standard for teachers layoffs that addresses only seniority and not performance, said co-author Senator Ted Daley (R-Eagan). The change made by this bill would authorize schools to base layoff decisions on effectiveness, letting them keep quality teachers in the classroom.
Daley added: “Ending seniority-only layoff will help our schools keep their best teachers in the classroom. Layoff reform will help ensure that Minnesota’s students are getting the best education we can provide.”
Current law grants “continuing contract” or tenure rights to teachers who have taught more than three years in a school district, or one if the teacher was already tenured in another district and has transferred. Minnesota is one of only 11 states that base layoffs on seniority only.
House File 1870 passed with a bipartisan support by a vote of 36 - 26. This important piece of legislation builds on the teacher evaluation system passed into law last year requiring regular teacher evaluations using student academic growth as a factor.
To provide time to school districts and teachers for planning and negotiating, the evaluations are not required to begin until the 2014-15 school year and the new LIFO reform provisions would not take effect until 2016-17 if signed into law.
Senator Daley is a member of the Senate Education Committee. He represents Eagan and a portion of Burnsville.
###
