Calculating the Savings From Ending Last-in, First-Out
Critics of "last-in, first-out" policies, which compel districts to lay off the least experienced educators first, say those arrangements undermine the talent pool by forcing school systems to make decisions about their workforce that have nothing to do with teaching ability.
But in a newly published essay, a pair of scholars make the case that there's another consequence for "LIFO": When times are tough—as they are now—it forces districts to lay off more teachers than they otherwise might.
State and district leaders will probably read the paper with interest, as they scramble for ways to cut costs without undermining classroom instruction. This year, a number of states, including Florida, Idaho, Illinois, and
