Seniority Stays

CT: As teacher layoff notices go out, no change in seniority rules

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's announced plans to give school districts the "flexibility they need to retain new, talented teachers" will not come soon enough for this year's round of layoffs -- as hundreds of teachers this week are expected to receive pink slips based on their tenure, not on the quality of their teaching. The Education Committee last week rejected a proposal that would restrict districts from only considering years of service when making layoff decisions, instead opting to wait for a model teacher evaluation to first be created. "Given the fact that we know there are districts that lack a robust evaluation system... it's hard for me to see how this is the time," Rep. Andy M. Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, and co-chairman of the Education Committee, said before voting against the proposal.