School Contracts: Should Seniority Prevail?

As school budgets get tighter and districts look for ways meet the state tax cap, some administrators are looking more carefully at employee contracts.

In particular, contracts that set seniority as the key factor in who gets laid off first in tough economic times is getting more scrutiny. In Huntington, an effort to recommend the elimination of the First In, First Out standard met resistance this week. And while Board of Education members insisted that a teacher's salary wouldn't be the determining factor in cutbacks, teachers spoke out against the proposal and it was tabled for now.

What do you think of seniority rules? Should they be the main standard when it comes to cutting jobs? If not seniority, how should districts determine who should stay and who should go? And how should the effectiveness of teachers be judged?

Please tell us in the comments.