Vergara V. California

Opponents of the teacher tenure laws have taken to a new tactic. Instead of trying to adopt new laws via the legislative process, the battle is now being moved to the courtroom. Fifteen year old Beatriz Vergara is one of nine students who have filed a lawsuit that would challenge the employment protections currently afforded teacher in California. The outcome of this case could have nationwide implications. Verger gave courtroom testimony in which she stated that “three of her teachers in middle school failed to teach or discipline students properly.” While teacher quality has been a hot button issue in recent years, using students as pawns to change the ways teachers are dismissed represent a new wrinkle. The fact that such a suit was allowed to proceed got the courtroom tells us that there will be significant repercussions whatever the outcome. If successful, other states, like Wisconsin and New Jersey, may also take a new look at how teacher performance impacts student achievement.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, much of the funding for the suit is being provided by entrepreneur, David Welch, who is the founder of the Students Matter a non-profit advocacy group.  One of the items at issue how teacher seniority impacts layoffs, and how the best teachers, who don’t have the security of tenure, get laid off first. At the present time there are 20 states that require teacher performance evidence to be considered in tenure decisions.

In the Vergara case, Governor Jerry Brown and the state Board of Education are the defendants. I hope that this information will help readers to keep a “heads up” on the outcome of this case and to monitor what happens in your own state.

c.2014  J. Margolis

How Hard is Teaching?

 A syndicated article appeared in the Washington Post back in January that posed the question, how hard is teaching? The story focused on a seventh grade language arts teacher in Frederick, Maryland who, after much deliberation, decided to quit the teaching profession. The teacher, who chose to remain anonymous, had become disillusioned and disenchanted with the profession. The teacher (we do not know if it is a man or woman), remarked that the objective that were to be taught were superficial and without meaning. The teacher recalls an incident where he/she was summoned to the principal’s office was handed a list of students who were performing poorly. Despite proving the principal with data showing the extra effort to reach these students, the teacher was told,” They are not allowed to fail.” The teacher was lambasted by parents as not doing a good job when there children brought home  Bs and Cs

The teacher in the article also remarked about the public perception that teachers had a lot of time off- not fully knowing the research and outside preparation required to be an effective and meaningful classroom teacher.  Teachers are held to extremely high standards both in the classroom and the community and are constantly required to butt heads with parents, administrators, board members and members of the general community.

Added to this mix is the politicization of public education in America by anti union government officials trying to curry favor with voters. So the question is where will this all end up? I believe that that the scenarios that are unfolding around the country will continue to dissuade bright college graduates from entering the teaching profession .Additionally, many of those already in the profession will strongly consider changing occupations. The success of public education in America is everybody’s problem. We all have a vested interest in having the best and the brightest teach our future generations of Americans.

c.2014 J. Margolis