DeKruif, Senate OK Teacher Tenure Bill

The way teacher layoffs are handled is a signature from Gov. Mark Dayton away from drastrically changing.

A bill basing teacher dismissals on evaluation outcomes generated considerable debate among Senators during their session on Monday. In the end, the bill, HF1870, passed with a near-party line 36-26 vote. The bill was passed by the House earlier in February.

"One of the reasons I ran for office was to make sure we have world-class education here in Minnesota," Sen. Al DeKruif (R-Madison Lake), who represents Northfield, said following the vote. "The only way we can ensure that is to always ensure we have the very best teachers in the classroom and this is one of those bills that does that."

The bill author, Sen. Pam Wolf (R-Spring Lake Park), argued that the goal of her proposal is to ensure that teachers are laid off based on their effectiveness rather that the current seniority-based system. Wolf and other proponents said the bill would help provide the best teachers for students. 

Opponents to the legislation voiced numerous objections, including a concern that the bill amounts to an attack on teachers and unions, and that, if enacted, evaluations would be difficult to measure.

DeKruif says the bill allows school boards to put together a plan that bases layoffs not only teacher evaluations, but also licensure and seniority. However, the bill cannot take salaries into consideration.

Northfield Education Association President Ray Coudret, a teacher at , was not available for comment.

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