Farmington

FPS has no new layoffs for 2012-13

By David Wallace
C & G Staff Writer

FARMINGTON — The Farmington Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a 13-name layoff list June 12 for the upcoming school year whose members are all holdovers from last school year’s layoffs.

Every year, Assistant Superintendent David Ruhland, whose duties include human resources services, must bring a layoff list to the school board for approval, so the district can officially notify teachers of their lay off.

In past years, Ruhland had to give notice by April 30, but changes to state law last summer moved the notification to the end of the school year.

“This is actually a benefit to us, because it really helps us to hone much closer what are the staffing needs that we have. It’s much harder back in April to tell us where we need to be in September than it is now,” said Ruhland.

“Where in the past we’ve certainly had larger layoff lists to bring before you, the list that I’m asking you to authorize tonight really reflects 13 individuals who are already laid off from last year, and we don’t have the space to call them back at this point for this year, but there are no additional layoffs,” Ruhland told the board.

He said that when his staff looked at the district’s teacher needs and the leaves of absences, for example, everything worked out to require no new layoffs. The district also needs to make some hires for foreign language instruction.

“Over the course of the summer, there’s a good chance that other things will happen, and some of the people on this list could get a phone call from our office saying we have an opportunity to call you back,” said Ruhland.

Secretary Priscilla Brouillette asked how a new state law affecting teacher evaluations relates to the layoff list.

Ruhland said the law now requires the district to make staffing decisions based on a teacher’s performance, not seniority. The teachers on the list this year are there because they had low seniority when they were laid off last year.

“I didn’t think that I would see again a list that was strictly a numeric seniority recommendation, especially because, and I won’t go into it any further, but there are some real superstars on that list, so I’m very surprised by that,” Brouillette said.

Ruhland said the district could trade one teacher for another on the list, but he said there is no pressing reasons to do so this year.

“If I had the documentation to support that I had this outstanding physics teacher on this list, and I also happened to have documentation that one of my current physics teachers was less than acceptable, I would have the authority, the district would have the authority, to move that less-than-effective teacher out and move the star in,” said Ruhland.

He said that most teachers on the list teach physical education, and the layoffs are a result of state emphasis in other subject areas.

“Our outside programs, whether they be PE or the arts, are being squeezed by the state-mandated courses that are there, and … a year or so ago, we went through and just had to shift and put some really good PE teachers out there. But the PE teachers we have are doing a great job, as well,” Ruhland said.

This may be the last year that the date of hire shapes the layoff list.

“If the dynamics lead us to adding names to a layoff list, they’re not going to be there based on seniority,” Ruhland said.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1053.