A report in the Springfield State Journal-Register seems to confirm our worst fears.
Two education reform groups unveiled a landmark package of education reforms Wednesday that would end the practice of using seniority to determine which teachers are the first to be laid off in tough budget times.
The package, the language of which is still being drafted, also would tighten the circumstances under which teachers could strike. It would require teachers’ unions and the school district release their last contract offer to the public before a strike vote occurs.
In Chicago, three-fourths of the members of the Chicago Teachers Union would have to vote to strike before one could be called. There is no similar requirement for downstate teachers, who would need a majority.
The package will eventually be introduced as an amendment to Senate Bill 7. The bill is expected to be heard in a legislative committee on Thursday morning, according to officials with Stand for Children, an education reform group that dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into 2010 legislative races.
Education reformers said they and the state’s teachers’ unions, all of whom have been negotiating with state Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Chicago, for months, have agreed to the legislation.
Fred Klonsky 
We in Philadelphia are facing layoffs due to our governor’s budget, and they have offered retirement age employees a healthcare incentive to leave. It would be INSANE here if there was no seniority.
Those who may be cut are first year people , and those having to transfer leave by building seniority. When they go to choose a school it’s by system seniority. Is there ANYONE in these legislatures who understands the ramifications of no seniority? We need our own sound bytes IT’S NOT ABOUT TENURE, it’s about organzation, procedure, and fairness.
Its’ not going to do benefit anyone with NO system, or worse a whimsical, arbitrary :”method”.
Philly teachers cannot strike (Act 46) and we haven’t had that big a skirmish since the 80’s. Banning strikes really serves no purpose, it’s collective bargaining that’s most important to preserve. The only way we can strike is BY striking, and putting this Act to the test. This is because we are the only city in the state THAT IS banned from striking – it’s discriminatory.