The Colorado Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit Wednesday that challenges a portion of the state’s teacher evaluation law.
Several Denver Public School teachers sued the district two years ago. They said the law unfairly allows school districts to place experienced teachers on permanent unpaid leave if no principal wants to hire them even if they have good evaluations. They also say administrators use the law to get rid of veteran educators and bring in younger, cheaper teachers. They argue that teachers have the right to a hearing before being placed on unpaid leave.
District officials have argued that the old policy forced principals to accept teachers that might not be the right fit for a school. The Denver superintendent has said he values the district’s experienced teachers but doesn't want to go back to the days of placing teachers in schools that don't want them.
