Earlier this week, the State of New Jersey opposed a motion filed by six Newark parents requesting participation in potential New Jersey Supreme Court proceedings related to the state’s “last in, first out” (LIFO) teacher layoff law. With support from Partnership for Educational Justice, the same parents earlier this month filed HG v. Harrington, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s LIFO law in Mercer County Superior Court.

In response to the State’s opposition, Partnership for Educational Justice Executive Director Ralia Polechronis today released the following statement:

“If New Jersey’s Supreme Court considers the state’s “last in, first out” quality-blind teacher layoff statute, the parents challenging the constitutionality of this law deserve a seat at the table. The State’s opposition to their participation is telling. Instead of welcoming Newark parents’ voices on the issue of LIFO, the State seeks to keep them out of a debate about a broken law that violates students’ rights by forcing school districts to either lay off effective teachers while keeping ineffective ones, or waste limited education funding to avoid laying off teachers who are successfully educating their students.

The brave parents behind HG v. Harrington are fighting so that their children can have a fair shot at a great public education. They oppose the State’s proposals to reduce education funding to Newark and other similar districts, and to leave the enforcement of an unconstitutional teacher layoff law to the discretion of a political appointee. If the New Jersey Supreme Court considers the LIFO issue raised by the State, it is unfair to the students whose future is at risk for the court to do so without the input of the HG v. Harrington plaintiff families.”

– Ralia Polechronis, Executive Director, Partnership for Educational Justice

 

Contact:

Melody Meyer

melody@edjustice.org | 646.770.7061