How does the pink slip process work?

Question: How does the pink slip process work? I understand last in first out, but what if that means getting rid of too many people in one department? For example what if all the pink slips go to elementary level teachers and you no longer have enough teachers to have an elementary school? The other teachers in the district can't cover for them because they aren't certified in that area. Or what if an entire Social Studies or English department is pink slipped?

Answer: Because the district is mandated by the state to provide instruction in certain areas, such as elementary education, Social Studies or English, it is not possible for eliminate everyone in a particular subject area.
The process for distributing “pink slips,” or employee notices that their position is going to be eliminated, is as follows:

1. The superintendent of schools, along with the district’s leadership team and the Board of Education, identify areas of possible program elimination or reduction.
2. Based on the areas the administration and board identify, pink slips are distributed to staff members in each of those specific subject areas. The most recently hired individuals are eliminated first, which is often referred to as the, “Last in, first out” policy. This policy applies to staff in each subject area separately, not to the district’s entire staff as a whole.

-answered by Stephen Tomlinson, District Superintendent