The state Senate voted Monday to ban local school boards from considering only a teacher's hiring date when deciding whether to lay off him or her -- or risk losing state funding if they don't comply.
Senate Bill 184, which passed the House last year, would mandate that boards must first consider teachers' performance in the classroom.
Proponents said they were aware of situations when instructors who had been named teachers of the year had been dismissed solely because other teachers had more seniority, a situation they said this bill could prevent.
Those in opposition called it a policy change that would take away control from local governing authorities. They also said few, if any, school districts mandated a so-called "last hired, first fired" policy to begin with.
The legislation passed on a 38-15 vote and now goes to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature.
SB 184 also would create a task force to review teachers' professional learning requirements.
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