Students, teachers and their unions have reason to celebrate after an appeals court reversed an earlier decision that severely weakened teacher tenure, stating that protecting teachers’ jobs does not rob students of quality education.
In its decision on Vergara v. California the court unanimously blocked a previous decision made by the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2014, which did away with California statutes that awarded tenure and governed seniority. The appeals court reversal makes it likely that the case, financially backed by philanthropists and businesspeople, is headed to the Supreme Court for a final decision.
Judges in the case argued that the laws regarding tenure should not be altered and that issues over teacher assignments should be left with the districts. The original decision stated that teacher tenure adversely affected the quality of education for poor and minority students.
The news was welcomed by America’s teachers’ unions, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA).
"Here’s the simple truth: We cannot fire or sanction our way to high-quality schools. We stand ready to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work necessary for every public school to be a place where parents want to send their children, where educators want to work and where children thrive. That takes working together to find real solutions, not attacking educators through the courts," said AFT President Randi Weingarten, who spared few words in laying the responsibility on those who manage the school districts and not the teachers.
President of the NEA, Lily Eskelsen García, said that “today was a win for our educators, our schools and most importantly, our students.” As with Weingarten, Eskelsen Garcíamade it clear that removing tenure does nothing to improve the quality of education.
“Ensuring that every student gets a good education is a critical goal but one that can’t be solved with stripping our teachers of their rights. Today was a win for our educators, our schools and most importantly, our students."
The California Court of Appeals unanimous decision was filed on 14 April.