California ruling strikes down job protections for 'ineffective' teachers

On Tuesday, lawyers for a group of students who are challenging key teacher job protections in California secured an initial victory after a judge declared the laws on job security for teachers unconstitutional, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The lawsuit was brought by Silicon Valley-based group Students Matter on behalf of nine students, who have argued that the five laws on teacher job security hindered to removal of teachers who were ineffective in the classroom.

According to attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr, who represents the plaintiffs, lawyers representing the state and the California Teachers Association failed to demonstrate evidence of positive outcome from the statutes as their arguments were said to be completely flat.

Judge Rolf Treu ruled that it was too easy for teachers to gain strong job protections and too difficult to dismiss the ones who show poor performances at work. The LA Times said that should the ruling stand, the state of California would have to draft new rules for hiring and firing schoolteachers.

LA schools chief John Deasy was pleased with the tentative ruling, saying that it would now allow schools to make changes to the state educational system.

He said, "It sends a powerful message that our educational system must change. Every day that these laws remain in effect represent an opportunity denied. Nothing we do in our schools is more important to the education of the child than the quality of his or her teacher."

President-elect Alex Caputo-Pearl of the Los Angeles teachers union said that the decision did not provide a remedy to the real issues in state education. He said, "This decision today is an attack on teachers, which is a socially acceptable way to attack children. (Instead of providing for smaller classes or more counselors), you attack teacher and student rights."

The LA Times said that both sides have voiced out their arguments on and off the court, expecting that the case would reach the nation's top court. Both parties in the case can file objections to the ruling within 15 days.

Tags

California Teachers Association, California teacher job security lawsuit, Students Matter

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