California Lawsuit Attacks Teacher Rights
Back in 2005, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger placed Proposition 74 on the ballot, which would have extended the length of time needed to earn tenure from two years to five. But this idea was rejected by a majority of voters.
However, California's voters may be overruled by the courts, if reformers Eli Broad and David Welch have their way. These billionaires have funded a new non-profit called Students Matter to fight the battle. A lawsuit called Vergara v. State of California begins tomorrow. The plaintiffs claim that students are harmed when their teachers have due process and seniority protections.
The seniority-based layoff or "Last-In, First-Out" (LIFO) statute reduces teachers to faceless seniority numbers. The LIFO law forces administrators to let go of passionate and motivating newer teachers and keep ineffective teachers instead, just because they have seniority.
The lawsuit also contends that teachers gain permanent status too soon, and firing them is too difficult, resulting in poor instruction for children.
I have written about some of the complex problems we face in teacher evaluation. This is an area where our schools could do much better. I worked with a group called Accomplished California Teachers to write a report with concrete suggestions for improvement a few years ago. We