Great news from Illinois

Great news from Illinois (courtesy of Andrew Broy, President of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools):

 

I thought you'd appreciate the recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling upholding Chicago's decision to use performance criteria, rather than mere tenure, in determining which teachers to hire/rehire after a RIF.  Major victory for those of us who support differentiation among teachers and policies that permit hiring the most effective teachers.  Here are facts:

 

·         In 2010, CPS, facing a big budget deficit for the next school year, laid off 1,289 teachers. A subsequent increase in federal funding (EduJobs) offset much of the deficit. In filling vacancies, CPS did not give tenured teachers preference; instead the district recalled 715 of the laid-off teachers using performance criteria, and also made quite a few new hires.   

 

·         The CTU went to court, arguing that the district had improperly fired many of its tenured members. The Supreme Court had to address a core question:  Do tenured teachers laid off for economic reasons have a right of first hire as their school district fills jobs?

 

·         The court said no.  In Chicago, the district has the power to promulgate its own layoff/recall procedures and not merely follow tenure. The Supreme Court majority found that a major 1995 school reform law "reflects a clear legislative intent to change the statutory rights of tenured teachers in a layoff."

 

·         As a result, CPS principals are now free to hire the best teachers, tenured or otherwise, after a layoff. 

 

Here are some links to related coverage:

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-02-17/news/chi-state-high-court-sides-with-cps-in-dispute-over-teacher-layoffs-20120217_1_chicago-teachers-union-cps-tenured-teachers

 

http://www.wbez.org/story/ill-supreme-court-sides-cps-laid-tenured-teachers-case-96505

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-02-20/news/ct-edit-cps-20120220_1_tenured-laid-off-teachers-chicago-teachers-union