State Lawmakers Lukewarm To Having Seniority Not Influence Teacher Layoffs
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
A day after Mayor Michael Bloomberg made his appeal for the city to Albany lawmakers, his request to prevent new teachers from getting fired first seemed to be falling on deaf ears. NY1's Erin Billups filed the following report.Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “Last In, First Out” proposal, to nullify a law which forces layoffs of teachers to be based on seniority, may officially be on the table for discussion, but many legislators, especially Democrats, say it will not get very far.
“I’ve spoke to several of my Assembly colleagues, even my Senate colleagues, and this is nothing that we would do. Mainly the city ones, we would never do that,” said Democratic Queens Senator Shirley Huntley.
With more than 6,000 jobs on the chopping block, the mayor says school principals should be able to fire the worst teachers, regardless of how long they have been on the job.
Many lawmakers say despite the mayors claim that the provision hurts poorer districts, they argue that a provision like the mayor's should be negotiated through collective bargaining.
“It’s just giving too much leverage to the City of New York,” said Huntley.
Some say it has nothing to do with bad teachers but comes down to cash.
“Economic realities -- I think that’s the real reason we’re being faced by this particular push at this period of time,” said Queens Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry.
While testifying before a budget committee hearing on Monday, the mayor said repealing his proposed change would have little impact on the city’s budget.
Democratic Assembly Education Chair Cathy Nolan said the mayor's push is a negotiating tool.
“I think that it’s something of a red herring on the mayor’s part. He’s a good negotiator,” said Nolan.
Senate Republicans said they were considering Bloomberg's "Last In, First Out" proposal, but were holding their cards close to the vest.
“I don’t think we’re even close to something coming across the finish line, so to speak,” said Republican Senate Education Committee Chair John Flanagan.
Republican Brooklyn Senator Martin Golden was also vague, but made it clear eliminating seniority protections is a tricky move.
“I’m not one way or the other on the issues. I want to make sure that the teacher who works hard in the public school system, that he or she is protected,” said Golden.
Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to unveil his own pension reform proposal after the state budget is passed.