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COVID-19 budget cuts are devastating school communities. Without federal intervention, they are expected to continue this school year. Their impact is being felt all over the country and is adversely affecting the diversity of an already predominantly white profession (80 percent of teachers are white). Given that most school districts only recently started to strategically hire teachers of color, the layoff policy of “last in, first out” means teachers of color are being let go first. “Teachers of color are not afforded the privilege of longevity,” said Travis Bristol, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education (and NCTR Board member). Research indicates that when seniority is used as the primary criterion for layoff decisions, schools with large populations of Black and Latino students are hit the hardest. These are also the schools where teachers of color tend to work. High teacher turnover rates adversely affect student performance. It is disappointing and frustrating for school districts that have worked hard to recruit teachers of color to have to lay them off because of seniority-based layoff policies, particularly when research indicates that having a teacher of color benefits students of color and when resources have been expended to recruit them. 

Seniority-based layoff policies are also “quality-blind” and require districts to retain teachers who have seniority not because they are effective, but only because of longevity. Only 16 states require teacher evaluation scores to be the primary consideration when making reduction in force decisions, and nine states prohibit the use of seniority as the primary or sole factor in layoff decisions.* Some school districts are concluding that if a diverse teaching force is indeed a priority, seniority as a determining factor in layoff decisions is not going to be feasible in the future. “That economic downturn will force districts that are committed to racial justice to get creative,” said Rita Kohli, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside. 

*The Education Commission of the States has a complete breakdown of how each state makes decisions about reductions in force.
           

Resources and Connections

The Nellie Mae Foundation, in partnership with Rachel Cargle and MiiR has announced A Year of Rest. A Year of Rest provides 365 nights of rest for Black people working for change, and those fighting for the Black community. As part of their collective commitment to the work taking place in our country, they want to offer access to nature as a resource for rest and rejuvenation. Rest is critical to continuing the revolution. The better we take care of ourselves, the stronger we’ll be as we continue this fight. You can nominate someone for a night of rest here. They may be a community organizer, parent, healthcare worker, teacher, artist, or educator.


Shadow Life: Shining Through Colorism and Depression (2018) is an award-winning, short documentary that documents Shaina Simmons’ journey of dealing with the depression she suffered as a result of colorism. Miranda Kahn directed the documentary.