With decreased enrollments at Roosevelt and the dissolving of several courses, including AP Human Geography, some staff will be displaced from Roosevelt at the end of this school year.
Teachers are displaced based on the seniority system, which prioritizes retaining teachers who have worked in Seattle Public Schools the longest rather than on direct measures of best job performance. “Displacement” indicates that an employee will be offered another job within the district, as opposed to being terminated from district employment (as in layoffs or firing).
Seniority preferences prevent nepotism and bias, and are a common feature of trade unionism. In unionized jobs, seniority often determines vacation time, salaries, work hours, and other benefits. For SPS, seniority affects salary, retirement benefits, and decisions for displacement and reductions in force (layoffs). Using the seniority system keeps displacements, layoffs, salary changes, and retirement planning predictable for employees. Further, the seniority system increases an employee’s loyalty to the employer, as they have to stay longer in order to reap the most rewards.
However, basing an employment system entirely on seniority has its downsides. For one, employees are not recognized or rewarded based on their achievements, performance, or merit. A more tenured employee with poor job performance could have a higher income than a junior employee who excels in their position. In schools, this may mean younger teachers who are favored by students make less money and are more likely to be let go when staffing positions are cut.
This is not the first time the school and district have had budget issues, resulting in displacements and even layoffs. In 2009, SPS was short of $34 million in funding and had to lay off 165 teachers. This caused an uproar from students and families, who wanted the seniority system to change, according to Crosscut. Protesters questioned why layoffs most impacted the people who influence students directly in the classroom (teachers), rather than management.
According to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between SPS and the Seattle Education Association (SEA), layoffs are primarily based on seniority. “The performance ratings (evaluation) of employees shall only be a factor in determining the order of layoff under this Section [Conditions Necessary For Layoffs] in cases of tied seniority,” meaning performance will only be taken into account after seniority has been considered.
The current contract also states that “anyone who is not considered proficient by the state summative performance rating will be laid off prior to someone of the same seniority who is considered proficient,” signifying that performance has some influence on the order of layoffs.
However, while staff layoffs consider seniority and performance ratings, displacement decisions are based entirely on seniority. As stated in the contract, “Displacement of staff from buildings, layoff, and recall shall be by seniority, within categories, subject matter areas, or departments.”
There’s a big difference between merit and seniority. Seniority only accounts for how long an employee has been with the district. Merit, on the other hand, accounts for what the employee has done, what they have achieved, and how well they did it. For the system to be just, there needs to be a balance between seniority and merit, with merit playing a bigger role when seniority cannot be a determining factor. Depending on each setting, the two can play different roles, and come into play at different times. At school, there could be more consideration of merit.
There’s also the other side of merit, determined by those who are influenced by teachers: students. There should be more consideration of student voices and perspectives when it comes to deciding factors in staff employment.
Some students and families might find the seniority system unjust and frustrating. While saying goodbye to loved teachers is difficult, it is natural for people to come and go from any workplace, which is something we must come to terms with at this moment.
