Vergara: careful what you wish for

A new article by Kevin Welner from the National Education Policy Center weighs whether the Vergara plaintiffs, in their eagerness to take on teacher unions, have invited litigation from policy and reform rivals. When the Vergara decision was first handed down, it was celebrated by advocates who sought a revision of the teacher dismissal process, particularly of teachers with low results from value-added models of student scores. These accountability-focused reformers are locked in battle with those who seek enriched learning opportunities and greater resources for students. Welner argues that Vergara's advocates are unwittingly setting the legal table for this latter group. Though critical of the legal and factual reasoning in the court's opinion, Welner argues that the rule as outlined and applied by the trial court would -- if embraced by the appellate court -- open the door to a wide variety of education-rights litigation, including around tracking systems that ration college-prep classes; disparities in working conditions between teachers in wealthier and lower-income communities; laws and policies that result in inequities in class size; access to high-quality preschool; grade retention; exclusionary discipline; access to enriched and engaging curricula; transportation; buildings and facilities; funding formulas; access to and use of technology; testing and accountability policies; and school choice. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.