California's highest profile politicians go missing in action over teacher tenure;
Rarely has a major court decision been met with such stony silence by California politicians as the ruling declaring that the state's teacher tenure laws hurt poor and minority-heavy schools and are unconstitutional.
Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to comment. Same with Attorney General Kamala Harris, whose office defended the state when the lawsuit was argued in Los Angeles.
Likewise, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom - who blasted out five tweets within hours of Texas Gov. Rick Perry likening homosexuality to alcoholism - hasn't uttered a word on the ruling that threw out California's tenure laws.Not that there's anything surprising to political scientists here;
"Let's get real here. Do you really think they want to bite the hand that feeds them?" saidLarry Gerston, a political science professor at San Jose State University.However, if you're not going to continue in politics (because you're a dinosaur, who's retiring);
Democratic Rep. George Miller of Martinez, a longtime education advocate, wasn't the least shy about stating his feelings.
"I believe in job security, but if you read the decision, it clearly shows that the present teacher tenure laws are a real barrier to low-income and minority kids getting a good education," Miller said.So, George, why don't you go with that.
Can we extend this? The minority and poor depend more than average on good government services. Let's abolish the civil service no-firing rules, which deny the poor the chance to have competent people administering the programs they depend on.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, even the middle-class and above may have constitutional rights, and then changes also can be made on their behalf.
I seem to recall the sarcastic headline:
"Killer asteroid headed towarad earth. Minorities and the poor will be hit hardest."