Judge: Key Job Protection Laws for California Teachers Are Unconstitutional

NBC Bay Area ^ | Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 | Jonathan Lloyd and John Cádiz Klemack

[nickcarraway]

The ruling is in response to a request from a group of students who said the laws make it virtually impossible to fire poorly performing teachers

A judge issued a tentative ruling Tuesday that found California's public school teacher tenure laws unconstitutional after hearing testimony from students who claimed the job protections made it virtually impossible to dismiss low-performing teachers.

The decision in Vergara v. California pitted the state and its largest teacher unions against students who asked the judge to consider laws regarding teacher tenure, dismissal and seniority consideration for layoffs. A Silicon Valley-based group called Students Matter brought the lawsuit on behalf of nine students, contending the targeted laws hinder the removal of ineffective teachers and disproportionately hurt low-income and minority students.

[fwdude]

Good news from the Land of Sodom?!

[kingattax]

i thought it said ‘Viagra vs California’

[E. Pluribus Unum]

How many years will the appeal take?

[ZULU]

Viagra won.

[Jacquerie]

I favor the outcome, disfavor the process.

From the brief column, it appears the judge entered the political realm.

Nope, the judge let politicians off the hook. It is they and their teachers’ union butt boys who should be forced to confront the hell they created in many public school systems.

[reg45]

Conservative teachers with high seniority will be targeted.

[vette6387]

“How many years will the appeal take? “

Well, the clock doesn’t start until you take the first step. Given the general politics of our judges here, color me surprised. But maybe we here can start a trend, because this isn’t a problem particular to California.

[kingattax]

how about that

[CA Conservative]

Nope, the judge let politicians off the hook. It is they and their teachers’ union butt boys who should be forced to confront the hell they created in many public school systems.

I would disagree with your assessment based on the article that was linked. It does not look like the judge told the state what the solution must be - he just ruled that the current laws are unconstitutional. So it looks like he tried to stay out of the political process (which would entail him prescribing a solution that the state must follow, as too many judges like to do), and basically tossed it back to the state legislature, saying "This is broke; fix it!"

[who_would_fardels_bear]

If the teachers can keep this in the courts long enough, then the particular students named in the lawsuit will no longer be attending school.

Then the teachers union can get the lawsuit thrown out for lack of standing of any of the plaintiffs.

/sarc or maybe sadly not

[FredZarguna]

Viagra won.

And California is so screwed...