StudentsFirst.org: Teachers share how seniority based layoffs do not help students

Join the Movement: http://studentsfirst.org/teachersvid

Seniority based layoffs do not help students. Last In First Out is the important issue in United States education reform. These teachers and citizens share how LIFO effected their student's education and communities. .

What is "Last In, First Out"?

In most jurisdictions, layoffs are based on seniority, an outdated and bureaucratic practice known as "Last In, First Out" (LIFO). LIFO means that the last teacher hired has to be the first teacher fired, regardless of how good they are. A teacher's performance plays no role in who stays and who goes.
What's Wrong With "Last In, First Out"?

LIFO is in place to protect a system of adult entitlement. It hurts kids, valuable teachers, and whole communities for three reasons:

1. Research indicates that when districts conduct seniority-based layoffs, they end up firing some of their most highly effective educators. These are the inspiring and powerful teachers that students remember for the rest of their lives, and we lose more of them with every LIFO layoff.

2. LIFO policies increase the number of teachers that districts have to lay off. Because junior teachers make less money, districts have to lay off more of them in order to fill budget gaps. We lose more teachers and more jobs.

3. LIFO disproportionately hurts the highest need schools. On average, schools in poorer districts have larger numbers of new teachers — these teachers are the first to lose their jobs in a layoff. High-income areas have more stable systems and fewer newer teachers, and are therefore less impacted by budget cuts. Because of LIFO, we lose the best educators in the neighborhoods that need them the most.

How Important is an Effective Teacher?

Research shows that a highly effective teacher generates 50% more learning than an average teacher. Conversely, an ineffective teacher generates 50% less learning than an average teacher. This means that kids learn three times more in a highly effective teacher's classroom than in an ineffective teacher's classroom.

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[MsJanetWood]

TYPO CORRECTION: CANDIDATES

[MsJanetWood]

@jjtyler21 I agree! I think the U.S. should get rid of that silly age requirement for presidential canidates. Why does the president have to be 35 years of age?

Also, auto insurance companies, why do they charge more to insure people under 25?

Because, EXPERIENCE matters!

Let's stop blaming the teachers!

Let's start holding students accountable!

Also, let's get rid of all the over-paid administrators, publishing company fads and educational consultants.

Let's go back to the BASICS!

[jjtyler21]

I agree with this 100%. In addition to this, the teachers are also people. You don't get rid of a teacher because he just happened to be unlucky enough to be born a few years later than another teacher. These are hard working people that deserve better. It seems like all of the honest, hardworking people these days are getting screwed over everywhere.

[stevenrosen99]

How about increasing taxes and not having to lay off teachers in the first place? 

[v44forme1]

@regionfree1 this is about destroying education PERIOD, STATISTICS PROVE THIS

[regionfree1]

@MsJanetWood Why are you so butt hurt over michelle rhee? she is telling the truth,get rid of bad teachers and keep the good ones,all you care about is your pay, not these children who lack behind the rest of the world,you have been exposed MsJanetWood.

[MsJanetWood]

She would tutor kids afterschool, while she was on "unemployment"?

Teachers don't get unemployment. When you get fired, you get FIRED!

[MsJanetWood]

In the WAITING FOR SUPERMAN movie, Geoffrey Canada states, " I actually know how hard it is to be a GOOD teacher.

It took me 3 years to become a DECENT teacher, BEFORE I really LEARNED my CRAFT.

And then in about 5 years, I was a MASTER teacher."

Ironically, 50% of NEW teachers QUIT within 5 years!

Inner-city schools are innundated with NEW teachers, because once a teacher gains EXPERIENCE, she moves to a school in the suburbs. Schools where the kids actually listen to the teacher.

[joeacollinstube]

Like x1000