Publication
So All Students Thrive
Rethinking Layoff Policy to Protect Teacher Diversity
The education students deserve starts with great and diverse teachers.
But while many states have made impressive progress on diversifying the teacher workforce, that progress could be at risk. This is because school districts commonly use seniority—”Last In, First Out,” or LIFO—to determine which teachers to lay off. But LIFO is not colorblind: Early-career teachers are more likely to identify as people of color, and thus most likely to be let go.
This report, written with Educators for Excellence, explores the potential impact of LIFO in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes analysis of new state teacher workforce data, as well as specific ideas for how states and districts can replace LIFO with policies that protect teachers of color.
“So All Students Thrive” shows the urgent need to retain these educators and offers solutions for making sure our schools do so. Our students’ futures depend on it.
To learn more, download the report.
Visit the “So All Students Thrive” microsite to learn more.
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About TNTP
TNTP is the nation’s leading research, policy, and consulting organization dedicated to transforming America’s public education system so that every young person thrives.
Today, we work side-by-side with educators, system leaders, and communities across the nation to reach ambitious goals for student success.
Yet the possibilities we imagine push far beyond the walls of school and the education field alone. We are catalyzing a movement across sectors to create multiple pathways for young people to achieve academic, economic, and social mobility.