Indiana: Save Great Teachers from Seniority-Based Lay-offs

How We Won

May 02, 2011

Encouraged by over 7,000 emails sent from Change.org members, the Indiana Legislature has passed Senate Bill 1- which identifies, rewards and saves great teachers through requiring fair and robust teacher evaluation systems, allowing salary increases for the most effective teachers, and ending the harmful “last in, first out” (LIFO) policy.

Thank you for participating in these important reforms to ensure an excellent teacher for every Indiana student.

Join us as we continue to fight for education policies that put Indianaʼs students first.  Visit StudentsFirst.org, and spread the word!

As many as 160,000 teachers across the country will lose their jobs this year due to massive budget cuts that states, including Indiana, are facing.  

What’s even more devastating is that our children will lose thousands of great teachers because of antiquated “last in, first out” LIFO policies, which force out some of our best teachers, regardless of how good they are.

Indiana currently requires the use of these types of policies, which essentially base layoff decisions on seniority rather than performance quality.

Research shows that when districts conduct seniority-based layoffs, we end up firing some of our most effective teachers. Our kids deserve better.

Put simply, teachers who change their students lives in the classroom should never be rewarded with pink slips.

Take action today to urge Governor Daniels, the Chairs of our Education Committees and your state Representative and Senator to end the short-sighted LIFO policies that continue to force our schools to lay off some of our kids' great teachers.

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