Teacher Tenure Bill Heads To Dayton
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A bill making significant changes to the process for teacher layoffs is headed to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who has pledged a veto.
The legislation would eliminate so-called "last in, first out" rules that protect more senior teachers. The Senate voted 35-28 on Saturday to send the bill to Dayton, following a House vote a couple nights earlier.
Current law says that schools must only consider teacher seniority when making layoffs, unless districts negotiate different local policies. Under the bill, schools would be able to weigh teacher evaluations before seniority in layoff decisions.
Advocates say layoffs should put a premium on performance over classroom longevity, but opponents argue that teacher evaluations can be too subjective and that it's an end-run around collective bargaining.
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