Gov. backs law to halt layoffs of junior teachers
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he supported a proposed state law that would prevent teacher layoffs based on seniority, a stance that quickly drew the ire of teachers unions while being lauded by civil rights activists.LOS ANGELES
Schwarzenegger appeared at Edwin Markham Middle School in the Watts area of Los Angeles, which lost more than half its teachers in layoffs last year because they were largely new hires.
"Several teachers of the year have gotten pink slips. How can that happen if they are award-winning teachers?" the governor told an auditorium full of cheering children. "It is very important we change the system."
The California Teachers Association, which represents teachers statewide, and United Teachers Los Angeles, the union in the Los Angeles Unified School District, has denounced the bill proposed by state Sen. Robert Huff, R-Diamond Bar.
The unions said the proposal infringes on teachers' rights while glossing over the issue of underfunded public education.
The state has cut education funding by $17 billion over the past two years, resulting in the layoff of 16,000 teachers last year. Another 26,000 teachers have received layoff notices this year.
UTLA President A.J. Duffy said districts already have the ability to retain junior teachers if they have special training and experience.
LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he would support legislation that gives districts flexibility to retain talented teachers, as long as the process is developed with teachers unions
