Gov. Cuomo vows to “reinvent govern ment.” Here’s where he can start — by convincing the Legislature to scrap the state-mandated seniority system used to lay off teachers.
Cuomo will get a chance to attempt that when he presents his budget in two weeks. Ditching the seniority-driven teacher-layoff system needs to be a key part of his plan.
It’s ridiculous that the mandate even exists. Local school districts need maximum flexibility in such matters.
That’s particularly so in New York City, where the fiscal crunch will trigger thousands of pink slips in the schools — wiping out substantial improvements in teacher quality achieved in recent years.
Mayor Bloomberg has already announced plans for some 4,500 teachers to be let go — on top of another 1,600 or so trimmed through attrition.
Still more teachers may fall victim to the budget ax if City Hall doesn’t get all the state school aid it’s expecting — a likelihood, given Albany’s woes. Every $100 million in extra cuts can translate into roughly 1,200 layoffs.
So, who goes and who stays?
Under state law, the answer — amazingly — must ignore teacher quality. Lousy teachers who have been around far too long get to keep their jobs.
And new teachers must be fired.
A study last summer by four university researchers confirmed it: Laying off ineffective teachers first can “meaningfully improve the quality of instruction.”
They also noted another obvious point: Since new teachers cost less, more of them will need to be let go to achieve the same savings.
Yet seniority is the law in New York — because teachers unions demand it. (And lawmakers do what the unions demand.)
Cuomo vows to change that culture: “We want a government that pays for performance,” he said this month, one “that actually gets results” and puts “people first and not the special interests.”
No doubt, Cuomo will meet stiff resistance from union-owned lawmakers to any plan to scrap “last-in, first-out.”
Perhaps he can offer budget incentives — more state aid, say, for schools that ditch seniority once they can.
Bloomberg has a key role here, too. He needs to be involved in this campaign — personally. It’s not something he can leave to a commissioner (or phone in from Bermuda).
Let’s face it: Albany is staring at a $10 billion budget hole, and Cuomo — rightly — rejects tax hikes and borrowing.
That leaves budget cuts. But they must be implemented wisely.
New York’s kids deserve the best teachers — whether longtime vets or rookies.
Cuomo and Bloomberg need to work together to make that happen.