Keeping Quality Teachers

During these economically difficult times Hartford Public Schools has had to contend with teacher layoffs as a result of Connecticut's financial crisis. As a school system, our goal in dealing with this situation has been to create as little disruption as possible to the students while the necessary changes and shifts are being made. However, current seniority rules do not lend themselves to the smoothest transition possible for our faculty members and our students.

Currently, layoffs occur at a district wide level. When a teacher is let go, another teacher with greater seniority is transferred to replace him or her.

This has become an issue for Hartford Public Schools because many of our schools have different educational themes. A teacher, who has been moved, must then be retrained in an entirely new theme. The situation also creates a gap in the skills present at the school where the teacher transferred from.

This system presents a particular challenge to new and redesigned schools that may have a large population of newer staff members.

We have appealed to the State Board of Education to allow us to alter the system in a way that would better serve the teachers, the administrators and the students and have requested that any "bumping" occur on a school-wide basis as opposed to district-wide. This would mean that no teacher would be forced to move to another school as a result of a layoff and take into account any extraordinary training that makes teachers particularly valuable to the schools where they currently work.

Letting teachers go without considering the quality of their work has become a topic of national discussion. As other school systems around the country are faced with financial difficulties, attention is being paid to the negative effects that having fewer teachers will create for students.

In a recent lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District the argument was made that system-wide seniority resulted in the district and the State of California not meeting in the needs of their students. Also in 2009, several “Teacher of the Year” winners were let go through this process in states, such as Florida, Indiana and New Hampshire.

The U.S. government has also taken notice of the problem. The “Race To The Top” program has set aside $4.3 billion in federal grant money for states that can show that they are making a considerable effort to turn around schools in low income minority communities. States that have received funds from this program have put an emphasis on retaining teacher and administrative quality throughout these economic times.

Hartford Public Schools acknowledges the work of those professionals who have been passionate about our schools over the years. Recognition should also be given to expertise that gives teachers something special to pass along to their students.