White Educators Laid Off Frist In Minneapolis

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   Sharlee01posted 2 years ago

   
   Really? Is this not against the law?
   Section 15 Race and Color Discrimination
   Notice Concerning the Supreme Court's Decision in Vance v. Ball State University, 133 S. Ct. 2434 (2013)
   
   Fury as Minneapolis teachers' union negotiates clause requiring WHITE educators to be laid off first regardless of seniority to make up for 'past discriminations': Rule is part of the contract that ended a two-week strike this past March...
   
   The stipulation is part of a new agreement starting in spring 2023 between the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Minneapolis Public Schools
   
   Part of the agreement was an attempt to re-format how the school district hires and keeps teachers of color
   
   The new contract says that they may go outside the order to avoid layoffs to a teacher who is a member of a population underrepresented'
   
   This prioritizing may apply to bring back teachers who were laid off should re-hires occur
   
   Hope you will share your thoughts

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      Fayetteville Fayeposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I'm on the fence with this one. First, there is a drastic teacher shortage across the country so I don't see layoffs as an impending reality.
      
      "The United States is facing a steep shortage of teachers, with nearly 300,000 vacancies nationwide threatening to turn the education system on its head.'
      
      Low pay and increased scrutiny from public officials and parents are driving teachers from the position far faster than people are joining.
      
      The lack of respect, the lack of respect for professional authority to be able to teach from our curriculum are not appealing two young people looking at a career in teaching.
      
      Between 2020 and 2022, roughly 600,000 teachers left the profession, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics.
      
      So ultimately, I'm not sure who's being laid off.  Teachers are gladly leaving in droves.  Honestly, at this point they're looking for anyone to teach.
      
      I'm sure that many in this district are upset with their union leaders and they may soon be voted out as a result. 
      
      In my opinion this is  an attempt to bring in and keep teachers who look like the kids they’re teaching.  It may be a strategy that works. It may be a strategy that pulls these dismal performing schools up to a better standard of learning. I have not looked at studies. It's a tough call.  But ultimately, the teachers of that district went along, in majority, with the contract.  Minneapolis is a 35% white school district.  In other districts, this would have gone over like a lead balloon. I imagine it will be headed for a court.
      
      
      https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/e … -shortage/

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         Sharlee01posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         Some good information, and logical points. Quick question. Do teachers have any say about what goes into their contract?
         
         It would seem if not their rights, in this case, are being overlooked, and a true form of discrimination is going on with the Minn contract.
         
         It's very unfortunate that so many teachers are leaving the field.

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            Credence2posted 2 years agoin reply to this

            Here in Florida, there is a teacher crisis as almost 9,000 positions go unfilled. Most would see this as a reason to improve working conditions, compensation and the like. I have heard of many states screwing teachers out of their retirement pensions. That does not help.
            
            And what does DeSantis do, he marginalizes the profession that much more by saying military veterans are qualified to teach in the classroom without any former training in the disciplines that they are to teach. What would make him think that any ex-grunt is uniquely qualified solely on that basis over just anyone they pull from the street?
            
            Such is  the Right winger way, truck drivers are qualified to write scholarly text books in Texas while Beetle Bailey gets to educate your kids here in Florida.

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               Sharlee01posted 2 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, I have read a bit about Desantis's new program that invites veterans to teach if they served four years and got an honorable or medical discharge and clear a background check, and have completed 60 college credits and passed a Florida subject exam.
               
               I would think this will fix the teacher shortage, but will it fix the problem of undereducated children?  That will be yet to see.
               
               I would think the teachers union would be up in arms over this in
               Florida.

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            Fayetteville Fayeposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            Teacher unions enter into collective bargaining with their districts each time a contract is to be renewed. I've always felt that that in the  interim the unions focused on gathering information and determining issues that were priorities for teachers at the time. I would then  see those as the focus of the bargaining.  So that would be the manner that teachers have a say in what is brought forward. In my experience, in my own small district I've always felt that Union leadership had a good pulse on teachers needs and those were advanced with the district negotiations. That probably is not the case everywhere.
            I am also wondering about the legality of this contract entered into by the Minneapolis teachers union and the school district. I really am not even sure if it would be legal for them to agree to such a practice even though the teaching community of that area may have been ok with it. The NEA, if that was the Union in this case, is always a more political Union compared to the AFT (American federation of teachers). 
            Many in the country do not like teachers unions but I feel that they have often been the only ticket to ensuring underserved students get the resources they need to perform academically.
            I understand where this Minneapolis district is coming from but their way of achieving some potential gains for their students may not be the best.
            If you they  think it's important to have more teachers of color heading classrooms that include a predominance of children of color I think they can do some shifting within buildings.

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      Credence2posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      Delighted to share.
      
      While I have supported Affrimative Action in principle as a way of including qualified people who would have been otherwise shut out due to race prejudice and bias which has been undeniable in the American experience, I don't like the sound of this.
      
      I don't know if the conditions that led to the need to promote this in the past can be applied in the same way in this instance.
      
      What is defined as past discrimination? How many of these people lived during the 1960s and 70s? I think that the Minneapolis approach is somewhat harsh and presumptuous and I believe that seniority and job performance should take precedence regarding decisions as to who goes and who stays.

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         Sharlee01posted 2 years agoin reply to this

         I think they are using this tactic to correct past discrimination. To perhaps make more positions for people of color. However, it does appear some with tenure could be hurt.  It also could backfire and have teachers that are not in agreement with the union's new procedure to leave the field.  And as Faye has pointed out, we already have a huge shortage of teachers.
         
         I agree with your sentiment.

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   GA Andersonposted 2 years ago

   Using only the OP, the point is a simple question: Is it right, (legal, fair, whatever measure), to contract to force worker discrimination? The next question is about the right to enter voluntary contracts.
   
   The first answer must be no, so the second one isn't pertinent. It will be surprising if this one avoids the courts, or, if there is contextual information that makes the OP not accurate.
   
   GA

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      Sharlee01posted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I checked several sources before adding the thread. The report is well covered by several outlets.
      https://www.southernminn.com/around_the … bf324.html
      https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/ … resentated

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         GA Andersonposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         I was comfortable with your OP, my context caveat was because I hadn't checked. I couldn't think of any context that would change the answer, but . . .
         As a note, I heard your OP on Fox, and their 'real real experts' are saying it's clearly unconstitutional. Something about the 14th Amendment.
         
         GA

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            Sharlee01posted 2 years agoin reply to this

            I am so sorry I did not add my sources. I should have, this is a report that should be verified.  I thought this story was interesting and hoped to get some feedback. Thanks for sharing.

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