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Vallay Varro, Executive Director of MinnCAN: the Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now, put out the following statement on the passage of H.F. 1870:
“Today state legislators agreed with the majority of Minnesotans who believe teacher performance should be the number-one factor in a layoff decision – not seniority. Teachers are the most important in-school factor in student success, and it is our moral obligation to remove any barriers that prevent great teachers from being in front of their students in the classroom. Performance matters, and today Minnesota has furthered its commitment to prioritizing teacher effectiveness and elevating the profession. When we recently polled Minnesotans, you spoke in a unified and bipartisan voice: Our greatest teachers need to stay in the classroom.
“We are hopeful that Governor Dayton will follow the lead of the legislature and keep his promise to provide a high-quality education for all students. That starts with an effective teacher standing in front of every classroom.”
This month MinnCAN announced the findings of its statewide public opinion poll of 1,000 Minnesotans on school staffing decisions. Most noteworthy: 79 percent of Minnesotans believe that seniority-based layoffs hurt the quality of education for students.
H.F. 1870 would leverage Minnesota’s new teacher evaluation system to help inform school leaders on staffing decisions during a layoff. Minnesota signed into law the new evaluation system in 2011.
For interviews with Vallay Varro, contact Nicholas Banovetz at: (651) 815-5999 or nicholas.banovetz@minncan.org.
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About MinnCAN: Launched in January 2011, MinnCAN: The Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now is an education reform advocacy organization. MinnCAN is building a movement of Minnesotans dedicated to creating the political will to enact smart public policies to ensure that every Minnesota child has access to a great public school. Learn more at www.minncan.org.