US News

LIFO ‘out’ west

Two more states abolished their “last in, first out” protections and will now require that teacher layoffs be based on performance rather than seniority — while New York officials dither on the issue in the face of union opposition, critics charge.

The state legislatures of Utah and Idaho last week passed teacher-accountability bills that eliminate LIFO.

The GOP governors of both states are expected to sign the bills into law. Rhode Island and Arizona also recently killed LIFO, and Florida is poised to follow.

“New York is lagging in taking on the LIFO issue,” said Michelle Rhee of StudentsFirst, an organization spearheading a national campaign to repeal LIFO.

A bill passed the state Senate in Albany but was treated as dead on arrival by the Assembly and Gov. Cuomo.

Utah Sen. Howard Stephenson, who authored the LIFO repeal bill in the Beehive State, said, “New York policy makers should step up and stand up for children. Any policy maker who won’t take this issue squarely on is not putting children first. Last in, first fired is bad for children.”