Students hurt by 'last hired, first fired' rule

Sacramento Bee ^ | 1/4/12 | Editor

[SmithL]

Layoffs are an unfortunate feature in these tough times – including in public schools. "Pink slip" season is coming upon us again, March 15.

California is one of only 15 states that require school districts to follow a "last in, first out" principle in budget-based layoffs. The newest teachers go first, based on seniority.

But the seniority rule is not absolute. The law does allow some exceptions – and the Sacramento City Unified district is using them. It is trying to keep newer teachers who have been specially recruited and trained to teach at seven of the city's most struggling schools.

That is a welcome change at the district's seven "priority schools" and should be expanded.

Not surprisingly, the Sacramento City Teachers Association is objecting. It lost an administrative judge's ruling in May and now has filed a civil lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court.

[SmithL]

I guess we won't be hearing the union thugs claiming "it's for the children" this time.

[faucetman]

last hired, hurt by ‘last hired, first fired’ rule.

[wbill]

is trying to keep newer teachers who have been specially recruited and trained to teach at seven of the city's most struggling schools.

"Most struggling schools" = codeword for "minority based, minority run".

Was the school system to NOT put these obscure regs in place, the title to the article would have been "Women, children, minorities hardest hit".

[a fool in paradise]

Blame the unions for forcing schools to keep bad teachers just because they’ve “always worked there”.

[DoughtyOne]

If this were about firing bad teachers, I’d be for it.

At the end of the day, it will be found that this is more about advancing the Leftist agenda than anything else.

[Yo-Yo]

The law does allow some exceptions – and the Sacramento City Unified district is using them. It is trying to keep newer teachers who have been specially recruited and trained to teach at seven of the city's most struggling schools.

Or rather, Sacramento City Unified District is trying to keep newer teachers who are much lower on the pay scale.

[Library Lady]

We have a winner!!!

[Mr. K]

Why not close the “schools that are struggling” and give half the money to a private company who can do it better and cheaper

win-win for everyone

The govt saves money and the kids get a real edumacation

[xzins]

Seniority is not just about unions. It’s also about preventing employees nearing retirement from being taken advantage of by administrators who could abuse their positions to prevent older employees from receiving those pensions.

If I can fire Old Teacher Jones, who is 5 years from retirement, and not have to pay him any of his retirement benefits, and hire New Teacher Smith who is 25 years from retirement, then I have saved my district a bundle of money.

New Teacher Smith thinks this is fine and dandy until she gets to the 20 year mark and her name is on the chopping block.

Until we make pensions personally owned and portable and cumulative year-by-year, the seniority system must be retained.

[SgtHooper]

I know nothing about the teacher retirement system, but is there not a vesting period, e.g., 5 years, where once passed, they are guarantteed retirement to some degree?

[Tax-chick]

Many companies have a pension system that ties retirement compensation to years of service using some formula, once an employee has been with the company a period of time. I will someday have a small ($60 a month, or something like that) pension from my six years with That Insurance Company; it’s sitting in a 5% guaranteed growth account, gathering dust until I’m old.

I agree that much should be done to rationalize retirement compensation systems, just as much should be done to rationalize health insurance. It should be possible to prevent competent, older employees’ being fired and left with no pensions, while also preventing less-competent, older employees’ consuming resources and preventing the use of younger and more skilled workers for the job.

As a side note, while a computer network architech in his 30s might be assumed to have a more relevant set of skills than one in his 60s, we can’t apply the same assumption to teachers. An older teacher is more likely to know some English grammar and math facts, and less likely to be a Gorebull Warming psycho, than a current graduate of Ultimate P.C. Teachers’ College, and also less likely to be having sex with the students.