Seniority system costs us our best teachers

I had the pleasure of attending Gov. Brian Sandoval's State of the State address, and was impressed with his commitment in taking bold and necessary steps toward education reform for the children of Nevada.

The governor has not wasted any time in turning promises of commitment into actionable steps for the state Legislature. He has set forth an aggressive education agenda that, when implemented through legislation, will truly put students first. Instituting measures that facilitate high student achievement and eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks will demonstrate real support for teachers and help make Nevada schools first-rate.

Nevada residents have written me, asking how they can make a difference in transforming the state's public schools. I believe one of the most effective ways is to insist the Legislature pass bills this session that include education reform initiatives that put students first.

Why is this so important? Well, if the governor's proposal becomes law, it will end one of the most damaging and antiquated policies impacting children in this current economic crisis. Commonly referred to as "last in, first out " (LIFO), this policy mandates that the last teacher hired is the first teacher fired, regardless of how good they are. When teachers are laid off based on seniority, students are the ones who suffer most.

Here's why this is incredibly bad for kids:

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

Second, LIFO policies increase the number of teachers districts have to lay off. Because junior teachers make less money, schools will lose more teachers and more jobs as long as the policy is permitted by law.

And finally, LIFO disproportionately negatively impacts the highest-need schools. These schools typically have larger numbers of new teachers who are the first to lose their jobs in a layoff. High-income areas have more stable systems and fewer newer teachers, and they are less impacted by budget cuts. Students who live in these high-need, low-income areas can't afford to lose their best teachers on top of those cuts. Yet LIFO will decimate the school systems of their best educators in the neighborhoods that need them the most. 

In addition to eliminating LIFO, the governor's agenda addresses teachers' concerns by including a provision that allows for an evaluation measure that identifies who the great teachers are. The governor has listened to this concern and wants to invest $20 million in a state-of-the-art teacher assessment system that includes student achievement growth -- rather than absolute scores, which is not fair to teachers who inherit children lagging behind -- under an ineffective teacher.

It is time to act in Nevada and across the country. In early December, I launched StudentsFirst, a national movement to defend the rights of children in public education. Those who want legislators to revise state policies to save great teachers should visit www.studentsfirst.org to find out what they can do help.

Michelle Rhee is the former chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools and is CEO and founder of StudentsFirst.