HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 03-12 Teacher layoff bills gain little traction in DFL-led Senate STAR TRIBUNE x StarTribune
Teacher layoff bills gain little traction in
DFL-led Senate
Article by:Ricardo Lopez
StarTribune �,r; '��
March 12,2015-9:06 PM ''�
Bills that would weaken the power of seniority in teacher layoffs
saw nearly three hours of debate Thursday in the Senate
Education Committee,but in the end received no vote.
Still,the lively discussion included testimony by parents,school
board members,a superintendent and even a neuroscience expert
brought in by Education Minnesota,the state's teachers union. � 4, r r �.� > >�-�. �
r,,:� , L , < <<.:��i � .
The two measures,one already approved by the GOP-led House, . . �: < <���- -�
would require school districts to consider pertortnance,not only ;;g„�,.,t rtarxn�ss,s:er��:nune ne
seniority,when laying off teachers because of budget cuts.
Revisions to seniority rules ihat guide layoffs are a top priority for Republican legislarors,but have failed to gain traction in the
DFL-led Senate.
Sen.Terri Bonoff of Minneronka is the sponsor of one of the bills and is the only DFL legislator in tavor of revising seniority
rules for teachers.
Bonoff and other proponents said the legislation is vital to helping close Minnesota's long-running achievement gaps between
white and minority students.She cited a recent California wurt case in which teacher tenure and seniority-guided layoffs
were ruled unconstitutional.
"This is not about keeping young people over old people,"Bonoff said.It's about"serving students to the best of our ability...
this issue is a matter of civil rights."
For years,Education Minnesota,which represents 70,000 teachers in the state,has vigorously opposed legislation to
diminish seniority during layoffs,a process commonly called"last in,first ouL"
The union argues that the change would undermine a recently implemented teacher evaluation law that they say was
intended to develop teachers'skills.It would pit teachers against one another since peer reviews are part of teacher
evaluation requirements
Bonoff said she rejected that notion and argued that most school districts'teacher evaluations plans were designed with
teacherinput.
Josh Davis,a researcher with the NeuroLeadership Institute based in New York,testified that teacher rankings hurt morale
and distrect teachers wilh low retings.
"When there's any kind of threat[such as low evaluation ratings]to our status...ifs very hard to concentrate,"he said.
Minnesota is one of fewer than a dozen states where a teachers job secunry is determined largely by the date of hire.
Education Minnesota has argued that current law allows school districts to negotiate layoff procedures.It estimates that 142,
or 40 percent,ot districts have negotiated factors lhat go beyond seniority.
However,a Star Tribune analysis of 114 teacher contracts showed that school districts rarely depart from the seniority
standard.Dozens of contracts detail how senioriry is deflned and how to break ties in cases of equal senionty—without
having to weigh teacher effectiveness.
In some cases,those districts will use other facrors—ranging from extrecurricular expenence to college grade-point
averages to Social Secunty numbers or even a coin flip—to break a tie,according to the contract language.
Republican Sen.Eric Pratt of Prior Lake,Senate sponsor of House File 2,said his staff's review of teaching contracts also
found that seniority ruled.
PratYs bill,sponsored in the House by Republican Rep.Jenifer Loon of Eden Prairie,would also make it easier for out-of-
state teachers to become licensed in Minnesota,a process critics say is now too cumbersome.The measure,passed 70-63
in the House,would also require the state's Board of Teaching to allow educators from neighboring states to transfer their
licenses to Minnesota.
Senate Education Committee Chair Chuck Wiger,DFl-Maplewood,said the bilis would be laid over for possible inclusion in
an omnibus education bill.Bonoff said she intends to attempt including the legislation in negotiations toward the end of the
session.
Ricardo Lopez•651-925-5044