Teacher Layoffs

The teacher contract requires the district to solicit volunteers before determining teachers for involuntary layoffs.  The purpose is to minimize the impact of the layoff.

Yes.

For years, the state's broken school funding system and the state's Milwaukee voucher program have caused deep cuts for MPS schools annually.  Gov. Walker's proposed massive cuts in funding and his proposal to expand vouchers will make a bad situation drastically worse.

The district decided an early notice would encourage teachers to seriously consider this option now rather than waiting until the school year ends.

To get a sense of how many teachers may pursue this option, MPS set a May 2 deadline for asking questions or volunteering for layoff. 

The contract does not specify an absolute date for volunteering.  If you are a qualified volunteer, notifying MPS later should not be a problem.

The contract definition is an employee "in a position identified for reduction and/or whose position can be filled by an employee who might otherwise be laid off."

Put simply, if your voluntary layoff prevents another teacher from being involuntarily laid off, you're qualified.

No.  At this time, there are no answers on numbers or license areas.

At this point, it appears the earliest that the administration will be able to determine layoff numbers will be late June or early July.

There is a lot of uncertainty.  The School Board has to set the 2011-12 MPS budget before the scope of layoffs for various employee units can be determined.  The tentative date for Board budget action is June 7.  However, the superintendent has postponed presenting his budget proposal for a week.  (May 2 instead of April 26.)

Moreover, state funding will not be known until after the Legislature enacts the state's biennial budget - perhaps in late June or later.

No.  Until an MPS budget is adopted, the district will not prepare any lists.  (Last year's lists are not useful because of numerous changes since June of 2010.)

While there are no firm answers yet, it's likely that MPS will not layoff teachers fully licensed in bilingual or special education.

Other than special education and bilingual education, layoffs are possible in all other license areas but there are no final decisions at this time.

In some areas, there are indicators that layoffs will be necessary.  For example, there are few elementary vacancies projected for 2011-12, but many elementary teachers have been identified for excessing from their school.  That combination indicates that unless there is a substantial, unexpected increase in funding, many layoffs at the elementary level are likely.  However, the numbers and specific license levels of will not be determined until late June or early July.  Layoffs are also possible in secondary subject areas.

Yes.  The contract provides that you must hold a full DPI certification/license on May 15 to exercise seniority rights within that area.

To exercise seniority rights in an area for which you do not hold a full license on May 15, there are two deadlines - if you have a temporary license or permit, if your license has expired, or if you are eligible for an additional license.

First, by July 1, 2011, you must present MPS with written verification from your certifying institution or from DPI that you can obtain a full DPI license by organization day of the 2011-12 school year.

Second, if you meet the July 1 verification deadline, you must obtain the license before next school year.

When the district determines a layoff is necessary, the contract requires MPS to first attempt to minimize the number of layoffs by:

• Soliciting volunteers within the certification areas affected.
• Granting unpaid leaves for any reason.
• Extending unpaid leaves. 

Five days prior to sending layoff notices, MPS must prepare a list of the least senior teachers in the areas identified for layoff and provide it to the MTEA. Written notice to those laid off must be sent at least 30 days prior to the layoff.