Education Policy, Business and Technology

Closely Watched Fight Over California Teacher Tenure Moves to Appeals Court

The New York Times: LOS ANGELES — A fierce battle over the future of teacher tenure in California moved to an appeals court here on Thursday. Lawyers for student plaintiffs argued that the state’s ironclad job protections for teachers deprived students of a quality education, while teachers unions and the state said the system helped recruit and retain teachers.

Two years ago, in a landmark ruling, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge struck down five state statutes dealing with the awarding of tenure, as well as rules governing teacher dismissals and the requirement that seniority be used to determine layoffs. In a strongly worded ruling, the judge, Rolf Treu, said the statutes violated the students’ rights to an equal education under the California Constitution by allowing poor-performing teachers to stay in classrooms indefinitely.

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