A lawsuit challenging teacher tenure, seniority and dismissal laws is underway in Los Angeles. Credit: EdSource file photo
The potentially game-changing Vergara v. Californialawsuit, which attacks key aspects of California law on how teachers are evaluated and fired, opened in Los Angeles last week and has been accompanied by an aggressive public relations campaign unmatched by the opposing side – the State of California and its teachers unions.
The campaign seems designed to make sure that the explosive issues being raised regarding teachers’ job security in California ripple far beyond a cramped courtroom in Los Angeles and help shape public opinion across the state and nation.
Remarkably, this one-sided communications war has been initiated by a single person – Silicon Valley entrepreneur David Welch, the founder of the nonprofit organization Students Matter, which brought the suit – and provides a case study of what impact a single individual can have if he has the resources, or access to them, to take action based on his beliefs.
California Teachers Association President Dean Vogel says his organization, representing more than 300,000 teachers, has no intention of trying to counteract what he described as a campaign funded by the bottomless pockets of the “billionaires boys club.”
“The media blitz is no surprise to us,” he said. “We expected this kind of barrage. We believe that what people want is not flashy PR but real substantive conversations with teachers that they deal with every day. Our focus is not on the media show, but getting out into the community and
Parent Universities help districts tap into feedback required under funding formula - by Sarah Weld/EdSource correspondent
School leaders are saying that one of the best known ways to involve parents – establishing a “Parent University” program – will be a boon to engaging them in the state’s new funding reforms championed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Parent Universities, which vary widely in scope from district to district, are ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links, other con