New York State currently enacts a policy called LIFO (Last In, First Out), where the last teachers to be hired must be the first to be fired should districts cut back, regardless of an individual's performance in the classroom. This has been a major point of contention among educators, and a popular topic in NY schools. Finally, it appears that the policy may be reversed... every movement requires an initial courageous volunteer to take the first leap of faith...
MARCH 11, 2011
In today's Wall Street Journal, Michelle Rhee published an op-ed about New York state's refusal to overturn the policy of "last in, first out" (LIFO). It mandates that the last teachers hired must be the first teachers fired, regardless of how good they are.
Last week, the New York Senate passed a bill that would make a teacher's performance a key factor when layoffs are required. Following that, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced a bill that would address the issue of how we define performance, but was entirely silent on the subject of how layoffs are conducted. And with 5,000 teacher layoffs headed toward New York City alone, the harmful policy of LIFO remains firmly in place.
Michelle wrote:
According to a recent Quinnipiac University survey, 85 percent of New Yorkers support ending the last in, first out policy. Four major editorial boards in New York City have called for ending the practice. We need Gov. Cuomo to do more than just say he's for reforming it. We need him to actually put forth a bill that eliminates it immediately.
This is such a hot debate item in my area right now. Tenured teachers want to keep the "LIFO" system as it is, but parents and more recent hires such as myself are frustrated at how many excellent teachers are losing their jobs. I do agree, though, that teacher's performance does need to be measured - for the kids' benefit. My predecessor, for example, had been in the district for a full 35 years and was definitely in "retirement mode." I found more sub plans than anything else in the classroom when I took over. Colleagues said half the time she was out on personal time, and the other half of the time she showed videos. No wonder the 4th graders didn't know which end of the recorder to blow into!
ReplyDeleteHopefully this whole fiasco in NY will turn around soon. I'm genuinely frightened about the future of education in this country!
I agree, Rachel... this country needs major education reform. President Obama's address this morning indicated that, and I hope that it starts sinking into the heads of our law-makers and officials... How can we expect to be taken seriously in this world if we can't even educate ourselves or our children?
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