California Students, Parents Sue Over Teacher Firing, Tenure Rules

The L.A. Times reports that a group of students and parents, fed up with what they see as overarching job security in California schools, are suing in the hopes of making harder for poor teachers to stay on the books. From the article: "The lawsuit, filed by the nonprofit, advocacy group Students Matter, contends that these education laws are a violation of the Constitution's equal protection guarantee because they do not ensure that all students have access to an adequate education. Vergara versus California, filed on behalf of nine students and their families, seeks to revamp a dismissal process that the plaintiffs say is too costly and time consuming, lengthen the time it takes for instructors to gain tenure and dismantle the 'last hired, first fired' policies that fail to consider teacher effectiveness. The lawsuit aims to protect the rights of students, teachers and school districts against a "gross disparity" in educational opportunity, lawyers for the plaintiffs said." Perhaps related.

Comments

Re:This is a scam

[lucm]

By the capitalist wreckers who are trying to smash the unions and destroy public education.

Or do you think all those millionaires like Bill Gates and Obama who send their kids to elite private schools give a shit about public school students?

Interestingly, Obama always supported the all-powerful teachers union in Chicago, who managed to get working conditions so good for their members that the schools had to cut the number of teaching days to afford those gold-plated teachers. As a direct consequence, this is one of the areas in the country with the lowest ratio of college grads. Yes we can!

Re:Tenure?

[LynnwoodRooster]

Actually, by opposing tenure I am expressly FOR the right to bargain, contracts, due process and property rights. Tenure essentially prohibits one side from even negotiating those things. It prohibits bargaining wholesale, it violates the concept of a contract and due process (immunity via tenure) and guarantees a transfer of property independent of one side continuing to provide that which they agreed to.

Tenure is exactly the opposite of what you claim...