The Star Ledger Editorial Board

“A group of Newark parents has just filed a lawsuit, arguing that a state statute forcing districts to fire teachers based on seniority, not talent, is unconstitutional.

At the very least, we should all agree this policy defies common sense. Schools are required to lay off teachers based on the date they started employment, not their actual job performance.

So they end up keeping ineffective teachers while losing some of their best ones. How is that good for kids?”

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By Laura Waters | NJ Left Behind

“The son of Newark mother Noemi Vazquez is one of 10 plaintiffs in a lawsuit called HG v. Harrington that was filed this week in Superior Court in Trenton, New Jersey. Ms. Vazquez’s son, referred to in court documents as ‘E.P.,’ as well as nine other students who attend traditional public schools in N.J’s largest school district, are asking the Court to allow Newark Public Schools to bypass the state’s seniority laws and dismiss teachers based on classroom effectiveness. Defendants are N.J. Acting Education Commissioner Kimberly Harrington, the State Board of Education, and Newark Superintendent Chris Cerf.”

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By Meir Rinde | NJ Spotlight

“Lawsuit argues layoffs should be based on merit, not seniority, while union says that would leave schools vulnerable to politics

The chief of New Jersey’s largest school district yesterday firmly offered support for the arguments behind a new lawsuit against the state, which challenges the law protecting senior teachers from layoffs.”

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By Amanda Oglesby | Asbury Park Press

“TRENTON – A group of Newark parents, opening a new attack on teacher tenure, have filed a lawsuit challenging New Jersey’s schools’ ‘last in, first out’ layoff scheme, charging the rule forces the retention of ineffective teachers and impinges upon students’ right to receive a proper education.

Six parents, with support from the nonprofit Partnership for Educational Justice, filed the lawsuit ‘HG v. Harrington’ in state Superior Court in Mercer County saying the ‘last in, first out’ rule conflicts with the state’s obligation to students under the New Jersey Constitution.”

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By JT Aregood | Politicker NJ

“Six Newark parents filed suit Tuesday over the city school district’s ‘last in, first out’ teacher layoff statute, a policy that they say protects underperforming teachers at students’ expense. HG v. Harrington would challenge the constitutionality of the policy, which mandates that schools lay off their newest teachers first regardless of quality.

Filed in Mercer County Superior Court, the case between unnamed minors represented by their parental guardians against Acting New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Kimberly Harrington argues that the policy violates student’s right to an education by ignoring research the plaintiffs say points to better outcomes when performance is considered during cuts.”

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By Alexandra Hill | WBGO News

“A group of Newark parents filed a lawsuit in superior court today to fight the state’s last in first out teacher layoff law.

Kent Yalowitz, with the Arnold and Porter law firm, is lead attorney on the case. Yalowitz says the statute requires the district to layoff teachers based solely on seniority, when faced with budget cuts.”

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By The Associated Press

“NEWARK >> A group of parents from New Jersey’s largest school district have sued the state over a law that forces districts to layoff teachers based on seniority rather than performance.

The Newark parents filed their lawsuit Tuesday with the backing of a national education reform group.

The state law forbids districts from considering any factors other than seniority when laying off teachers due to budget cuts. The suit claims that violates students’ right to a ‘thorough and efficient’ education, making it unconstitutional.”

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By Naomi Nix | The 74

“A group of New Jersey parents seeks to challenge a state statute that requires cash-strapped school districts to lay off teachers based solely on seniority and not classroom effectiveness.

The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in Mercer County Superior Court, alleges that the state’s ‘LIFO’ statute is unconstitutional because it requires impoverished school districts to keep poorly rated, veteran teachers while letting less senior, more effective ones go.”

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By Adam Clark | NJ.com

“NEWARK — A group of parents from New Jersey’s largest school district is going to court to fight a state law that forces districts to layoff teachers based on seniority rather than performance, NJ Advance Media has learned.

With the backing of a national education reform group, six parents from Newark Public Schools are expecting to file a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the state’s last-in-first-out (LIFO) rule for teacher layoffs, said Kent Yalowitz, an attorney representing the parents.”

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By Leslie Brody | The Wall Street Journal

“A group of Newark families filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to let New Jersey cities buck seniority rules when laying off teachers during budget cuts.

The suit argues that seniority rules protect weak teachers and force cash-strapped districts to dismiss good ones. Teachers unions say such rules shield higher-paid veterans from getting fired to save money and the promise of job security helps retain talent.”

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