My letter to the Editor: School Reform

I believe that education system in the United States is lacking, and needs reform.
I think one of the most important parts to school reform is to eliminate a policy called "Last In, First Out." (LIFO)  The last teacher hired has to be the first teacher to lose their job, regardless of how good they are.  Their performance has nothing to do with the decision, it is strictly by seniority. Most of the time schools lose very good teachers because of  LIFO. LIFO protects adult seniority, but it hurts the district, the kids, and the teachers.

Michelle Rhee, who is the former Chancellor of the Washington D.C. school district has created a website called www.studentsfirst.org. This website is about school reform, and trying to help in the fight to improve the education system in the United States. According to Michelle Rhee's website, research has shown that when districts layoff teachers based on seniority, they end up firing some of their most effective teachers. The amount of teachers that need to be laid off increases because first, second, and third year teachers make less money, so they have to lay off more of them. It also hurts the schools that are in the highest need of great teachers. The poorer school districts generally have the most new teachers, so their teachers are the first to go.  In contrast, the higher income districts are more stable because their teachers have been teaching longer, so they are not as affected by the cuts. 

If you believe in transforming education through keeping good teachers, go to her website and join the fight against “Last In, First Out”. I recommend this website to anyone who believes in keeping good teachers, and helping reform public education.

Alease Loitz