Efforts are underway at the Capitol to change a system governing teacher layoffs during budget cuts. Often referred to as "last in, first out," the default process in state law calls for layoffs to be conducted in inverse order of seniority. Local school districts have flexibility to negotiate their own terms, but a Star Tribune review of 114 locally-negotiated contracts found districts rarely strayed from the seniority standard. Many school districts negotiated a process to break ties in seniority. In some cases, it came down to flipping a coin.

1. Flipping a coin


2. Who has the smallest last four-digits in his or her Social Security number?


3. College grades

4. Earliest signing time, down to the minute.

5. Extra-curricular exemptions