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Teacherbillrevises'lasthired,firstfired'MinneapolisandSt.Paulschoolswouldbeabletonegotiateseniority'sroleinlayoffs.:[METROEdition]Brandt,SteveStaffWriter.StarTribune[Minneapolis,Minn]23May2005:1B.

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Abstract(summary)

TheLegislatureisexpectedtoadoptabillthatallowstwobigdistrictstonegotiateexceptionstotheironruleofteachertenure:lasthired,firstfired.ThatfreestheMinneapolisandSt.Pauldistrictsandtheirunionstonegotiateexceptionstoseniorityinlayoffs.They'retheonlydistrictsinthestatebarredfromdoingso.

TheproposedchangeinboththeHouseandSenateeducationbillsaddressesonlylayoffsfortenuredteachers,nothowthosevacanciesarefilled.Minneapolisteachersusuallyachievetenurewhentheystarttheirfourthyearonthejob.Afternontenuredprobationaryteachers,juniortenuredteachersfacethegreatestriskoflayoffs.Lastyear,a1980sstateSupremeCourtrulingguidedhowthetenurelawaffectedMinneapolislayoffs.Thatforcedmoreseniortenuredteachersholdingmultiplelicensestoswitchintoteachingsubjectstheytypicallyhadn'ttaughtinyearsoreverifthatkeptamorejuniortenuredteacheronthejob.

Rep.JimDavnie,DFLMinneapolis,saidhesponsoredthetenureproposalintheHousebecausehe'dheardplentyfromconstituentsabouttheimpactofthetenurelawayearago.AformerteachersunionpresidentintheBuffalo,Minn.,schools,hesaidtheMinneapolislayoffprocessneedsalogicthatrespondstoeducationalneeds,yetrespectsteachers."Idon'tthinkteachersfavorrigidityforrigidity'ssake,"hesaid.

RemembertheanguishedwailsofMinneapolisparentsayearagowhentheirchildrenlostafavoriteteachertothelabyrinthineworkingsofthestatetenurelaw?

Helpisonthehorizon.

TheLegislatureisexpectedtoadoptabillthatallowstwobigdistrictstonegotiateexceptionstotheironruleofteachertenure:lasthired,firstfired.ThatfreestheMinneapolisandSt.Pauldistrictsandtheirunionstonegotiateexceptionstoseniorityinlayoffs.They'retheonlydistrictsinthestatebarredfromdoingso.

Justwhatthat'sworthdependsonhowfarteacherunionsarewillingtogoandhowhardthedistrictsarewillingtopush.Butunionsjoinedthedistrictsinagreeingtotheproposedchange.ThatfollowedanoutpouringofparentalprotestinMinneapolisovertheforcedreassignmentof140seniorteacherswhoheldlicensestoteachinmorethanonesubject.Somewereshiftedintoareastheyhadnevertaughtsometookleavesorretiredratherthanacceptthetransfer.

Morelayoffsareontapthisyear,with294probationaryteachersnotifiedalreadyinMinneapolisandmorelayoffstobeannouncedlater.St.Paulfaceslayoffsthisyear,withthepossibilityofforcedassignmentshiftsayearfromnow.

Bothdistrictsandtheirunionsarejustbeginningtodiscusstheirnextcontracts,andthelawwouldn'ttakeeffectuntilAugust.Thatmeansthatchangeswouldn'tkickinuntil2006layoffs.

AmongthepotentialchangesmentionedinMinneapolissofararehelpingspecializedplacessuchasSpanishimmersionschoolsorautismprogramstoprotecttheirstaffsfromlayoffsorforcedshifts.

Minorityteachersmightalsobenefit.Thedistricthassaiditwantstoprotectitshighlyqualifiedteachersofcolorfromlayoffs.

Blackteachershavebeenlaidofftoamuchgreaterdegreethanotherraces,inpartbecauseoflowerseniority.Thedistrictalsosaysitwantstheabilitytorecruitandkeepqualityveteranteacherstobolsterthestaffsofhighminorityschoolsthatexperiencefrequentturnover.

However,theproposedchangeinboththeHouseandSenateeducationbillsaddressesonlylayoffsfortenuredteachers,nothowthosevacanciesarefilled.Minneapolisteachersusuallyachievetenurewhentheystarttheirfourthyearonthejob.Afternontenuredprobationaryteachers,juniortenuredteachersfacethegreatestriskoflayoffs.Lastyear,a1980sstateSupremeCourtrulingguidedhowthetenurelawaffectedMinneapolislayoffs.Thatforcedmoreseniortenuredteachersholdingmultiplelicensestoswitchintoteachingsubjectstheytypicallyhadn'ttaughtinyearsoreverifthatkeptamorejuniortenuredteacheronthejob.

Beyondthequestionofwhogetsaxedduringlayoffs,there'stheissueofwhichteachersfillthevacancies.That'sgovernedbytheteachersunioncontract.Teacherswhoarecutfromtheirschoolswhentheirpositionsareeliminatedgetfirstcrackatvacanciesintheirlicensearea.Butseniorityplaysthedominantroleinwhogetshiredforvacancieswhenteachersseekingavoluntarytransferbetweenschoolscompeteforaposition.

MaryFordhelpedorganizeaforumofparentsinMarchtourgegreaterstaffingstability.Shesaidthependingbill"takesusinonestepintherightdirection.Weneedtodomoresothatprincipalsarereallygiventhepowertochooseandretainstaff."

Schoolboardmembershavecomplainedabouttheimpactofseniorityinhiring.Teachersoftenattempttoshiftoutofhighpovertyschoolsastheygainseniority.Aninternaldistrict

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Indexing(details)

Title Teacherbillrevises'lasthired,firstfired'MinneapolisandSt.Paulschoolswouldbeabletonegotiateseniority'sroleinlayoffs.:[METROEdition]

Author Brandt,SteveStaffWriter1

1StaffWriter

Publicationtitle StarTribune

Pages 1B

Numberofpages 0

studylastyearshowedastrongassociationbetweenhighturnoverinmiddleschoolgradesandlowtestscores.

Rep.JimDavnie,DFLMinneapolis,saidhesponsoredthetenureproposalintheHousebecausehe'dheardplentyfromconstituentsabouttheimpactofthetenurelawayearago.AformerteachersunionpresidentintheBuffalo,Minn.,schools,hesaidtheMinneapolislayoffprocessneedsalogicthatrespondstoeducationalneeds,yetrespectsteachers."Idon'tthinkteachersfavorrigidityforrigidity'ssake,"hesaid.

Indeed,teachersthemselveshaveexpressedconcernsabouttheimpactsofasenioritydrivensystem.AsurveyofMinneapolisteacherunionmembersearlierthisyearfoundthatabout40percentofthoserespondingfeltthatschoolstabilityshouldbethemostimportantfactordeterminingteacherlayoffs,transfersorreassignments.Asmallernumber,28.5percent,namedseniorityasthemostimportantfactor.

LouiseSundin,MinneapolisFederationofTeacherspresident,saidshethinksthatresultsshowadifferenceinoutlookbetweenyoungerteacherswhohaven'teverbeenlaidoff,comparedwithasmallernumberofolderteacherswhohave.

Thisyear,thedistrictislookingatallowingteacherswhoformedateamatschoolsthatarebeingclosedtoshifttonewschoolsasateam.Theargumentisthatkeepingtogetherteacherswhoareexperiencedinworkingwithoneanotherhelpsstudents.

Thedistricthaspreviouslysaidthatitsabilitytopersuadetheuniontomodifyseniorityforplacementissuesishamperedbythelackofmoneytouseasanincentive.Butthedistrictmaybeinmoreofapositiontodealintheupcomingroundoftalks.TheMinneapolisunionhasbrokenrankswiththerestoftheeducationlobbyinthestatetosupportalegislativeproposalbackedbytheMinnesotaBusinessPartnershiptobeefupschoolbaseddecisionmaking.Inoneversion,parentsandstaffcouldnegotiatebudgetingandhiringcontrolfortheirschoolswiththedistrict.Butchangesintheunioncontractwouldbeneededtomakethatworksmoothly.

Sundinhassaidherreservationsaboutlimitingtheabilityofteacherstotransferbetweenschoolsisrelatedtoconcernsabouttheirtreatmentbyprincipals.Thedistrict'swillingnesstodealonmovingtowardstrongerschoolbaseddecisionsmayinfluencehowflexibletheunionwillbeonseniorityissues.

.

SteveBrandtisatsbrandt@startribune.comand6126734438.

.

TOLEARNMORE

What:TheMinneapolisFederationofTeachershasinvitedparentsandothercityresidentstoadiscussionofschoolstabilityandstaffingissues.ThisisafollowuptoameetingorganizedinMarchbyparentsconcernedaboutthefactorsthatcontrolhowteachingjobsarefilled.

When:6:30to8p.m.today.

Where:Thefederation'soffice,678thAv.NE.

.

BlackteachersloseinMinneapoliscontraction

TheMinneapolisschooldistricthasbeenlosingenrollment.Blackteachersaregettinglaidoffmarkedlyfasterthanothers.That'sduetothelasthired,firstfiredruleofseniorityinstateteachertenurelaw,oneofthereasonsthelawmaychange.Layoffsformostotherminoritiesaremoreinsyncwiththoseforwhites..

SchoolyearRace2000

200120042005ChangePercentage

White3,8763,15172518.7%

Black47432914530.6%

Latino828022.4%

AsianAmerican1441212316.0%

AmericanIndian77601722.1%

Minority77759018724.1%

Total4,6533,74191219.6%

.Source:Minneapolispublicschools

IllustrationPhoto:CHART

(Copyright2005StarTribune)

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Publicationyear 2005

Publicationdate May23,2005

Year 2005

Section NEWS

Publisher TheStarTribuneCompany

Placeofpublication Minneapolis,Minn.

Countryofpublication UnitedStates

Publicationsubject GeneralInterestPeriodicalsUnitedStates

ISSN 08952825

Sourcetype Newspapers

Languageofpublication English

Documenttype NEWSPAPER

ProQuestdocumentID 427708390

DocumentURL http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/427708390?accountid=12085

Copyright (Copyright2005StarTribune)

Lastupdated 20110831

Database ProQuestCentral

Copyright2014ProQuestLLC.Allrightsreserved.TermsandConditions