The Minnesota House gave final approval Thursday night to a hotly-contested bill that seeks to end seniority-based layoffs for teachers – what is known as “last in, first out.”
The House voted 70-61 to approve the bill, which awaits final action in the Senate. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton opposes the bill and has promised to veto it.
Under the bill, beginning in the 2016-17 school year, when teachers are laid off, it would be based on evaluations of their performance, and not purely on seniority.
Business groups supported it as a way of protecting young, effective teachers. Opponents on the house floor said the bill was an attack on unions and not an attempt to improve education.