Categories: General

N.J. School Boards Association President Explains Why We Need to Eliminate LIFO

Larry Feinsod, President of the New Jersey School Boards Association, has a new column up that reiterates NJSBA’s long-standing position that seniority-based lay-offs are contrary to the best interests of students. The Association, which represents N.J.’s 591 local school boards, has long maintained that the best practice for retaining great teachers is five-year renewable contracts, not lifelong job security. In fact, the State Legislature came tantalizing close to eliminating LIFO in 2012 but backed down in deference to NJEA.

Dr. Feinsod describes the daunting fiscal challenges facing local districts: a 2% tax increase cap (coupled with annual staff salary increases that are creeping up above 2.6%), unfunded mandates, and decreasing student enrollment, projected to drop  by more than 3% through 2024. Yet,

Current statute and regulation make length of service (“last in, first out” or LIFO)—and not job performance—the controlling factor when determining which tenured teachers remain on staff following a reduction in force. This requirement ties school leaders’ hands in retaining the best qualified staff members… 

A local school board should be able to rely upon criteria such as a staff member’s teaching experience and job performance when implementing a reduction in force. It’s a sound management practice and would help ensure that difficult staffing decisions are made in our students’ best interest.

He adds,

If we are truthful and sincere about our primary mission to improve student achievement, we must ensure that the people and the process of instruction are top grade.  Elimination of LIFO is the next logical step in fulfilling our commitment to student achievement.

Laura Waters

Recent Posts

BREAKING: Statement from JerseyCAN on State’s Long-Delayed Release of Student Test Results

This is a statement by Paula White, Executive Director of JerseyCAN, on the New Jersey…

2 years ago

NJEA: Murphy’s Elimination of Teacher Performance Test Is a Major Win for Students and Educators

This is a press release. Earlier today, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill to eliminate…

2 years ago

Murphy Signs Bill Eliminating EdTPA Test for Teacher Certification

Today Gov. Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 896, which prohibits the New Jersey Department of…

2 years ago

LILLEY: Blue States Had More School Closures and More Learning Loss — Just Like NJ under Gov. Murphy

The 74 conducted a study of the relative learning loss in Democratic (Blue) and Republican (Red) states and…

2 years ago

One of Newark Superintendent’s New High Schools Tolerates Racism Against Black Students

In October 2020 Newark Superintendent Roger Leon announced with great fanfare the opening of district’s…

2 years ago