Seniority system cuts fresh MPS teachers amid budget crunch (photos - Milwaukee, WI)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ^ | 6/15/2010 | Erin Richards and Amy Hetzner

[sbMKE]

Megan Sampson was named outstanding first-year teacher by the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English last week.

Second-year social studies teacher Kevin Condon, also at Bradley Tech High School, has four licenses and can command the attention of 40 students in an open-concept classroom.

Both are among 482 educators - more than 12% of the full-time teachers in the district - who have received layoff notices from Milwaukee Public Schools.

On Monday - the last day of the year for schools in MPS and the first day teachers reunited after hearing the news of the layoffs - some teachers expressed frustration at losing their jobs because of experience, not performance. Others said they were disappointed the teachers union had not solicited input from those with the least amount of seniority.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee School Board president and the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association leadership continued to disagree on how to handle the tightened $1.3 billion district budget, and whether teachers should accept a lower-cost health-care plan to avoid layoffs.

[sbMKE]

Another Democrat voting bloc suffers as Hope and Change comes to Milwaukee.

Emily Kaphaem, a social studies teacher at Bradley Tech High School, removes artwork she had placed on the walls in her classroom. Kaphaem was laid off in an MPS budget move.

Credit: Rick Wood

[Man50D]

The layoffs are music to BO’s/BS’s ears. It will mean more people dependent on the federal government.

[stumptalker]

ROTFLMAO! (Look at the poster she is taking down!!)

[Jonah Hex]

I feel for them but, at the same time, they were hoist by their own re...I mean, petard.

[who knows what evil?]

...some good news to start the day.

[mellow velo]

... some teachers expressed frustration at losing their jobs because of experience, not performance.

Welcome to the world of organized labor.

[rarestia]

Nice poster, ya putz!

To this article, however, the FL legislature recently passed a bill banning tenure for public educators. Good ol’ Charlie “Independent” Crist vetoed the bill to the pleasure of the educators. Sadly, the entire issue was never given quarter, as the teacher’s unions paid inordinate amounts of money to get bleeding heart messages plastered on TV and radio in Florida markets. The other side got nothing. I even had to explain it to my fiancee, who thought that the bill was a bad idea. Once she understood that these “tenured” teachers are the bottom-feeding idiots among other, better, younger educators, she changed her tune.

Do away with tenure. If we’re forced to have publicly-funded educational systems, then those systems should reward teachers based on merit, not on length of term.

[count-your-change]

But wait!! there is a solution!
“The problem must be addressed with a national solution - a federal stimulus package that will restore educator positions and allow MPS children to keep their teachers,” O’Mahar said in a statement.”

Who would've guessed it would be so simple...a “federal stimulus package”?

[John O]

On Monday - the last day of the year for schools in MPS and the first day teachers reunited after hearing the news of the layoffs - some teachers expressed frustration at losing their jobs because of experience, not performance. Others said they were disappointed the teachers union had not solicited input from those with the least amount of seniority.

Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.

As if they ever thought the union would fight for them. Brain dead liberals!

[hal ogen]

Lay off everyone who voted for and/or supports nobama. It seems crude but is necessary. How’s that hope-and-change workin’ for ya?

[John O]

Lay off everyone who voted for and/or supports nobama. It seems crude but is necessary. How’s that hope-and-change workin’ for ya?

I'd support that. After all they are just parasites anyway.