Smarter Teacher Layoff

posted at www.tntp.org/files/TNTP_Smarter_Teacher_Layoffs_Mar10.pdf is a very powerful policy brief by The New Teacher Project, with recommendations of how to do teacher layoffs in a way that doesn't screw kids (hint: it's not 100% by seniority), and also has a FASCINATING survey of teachers that shows that the HUGE majority of teachers (even ones with tenure and 20+ years of seniority) do NOT support their union in calling for layoffs driven purely by seniority.  Here's a summary:

 

Amid signs that the economy will force school districts across the country to lay off teachers in the coming months, this policy brief shows strong teacher support for ending "quality-blind" layoff policies based strictly on seniority. It details an alternative approach to layoffs that would help schools retain their best teachers and reduce the impact on students when layoffs become unavoidable, while still valuing seniority appropriately. The proposed "quality-based" layoff system reflects the views of more than 9,000 teachers surveyed in two large urban districts.