Educational Issues Forum
Vergara v. California: Will it make a difference for students? The judge’s initial ruling in the Vegara v. California case would eliminate five key provisions in the state’s Education Code that govern teacher employment and dismissal. If upheld on appeal these changes would eliminate some employment protections for teachers, extending the time to “tenure” and limiting the role of seniority in decisions about employment and assignment.
Will the removal of job protections improve the distribution of teachers? What kinds of policies and preparations might attract and retain teachers in high-needs schools? And, what other conditions do we need to help improve the quality of teaching?
This forum will explore the question of whether and how these changes matter in the context of the larger challenge to provide high quality teachers for all students in California schools.
Panelists include:
- Na'ilah Suad Nasir, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, UC Berkeley
- Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education
- Katharine Strunk, Professor of Education and Policy, University of Southern California
- William S. Koski, Professor, Stanford Law School
- Shannan Brown, Executive Director, San Juan Teachers Association
- Susan Moore Johnson, Jerome T. Murphy Professor of Education, Harvard University
- Julie E. Koppich, President, J Koppich & Associates
- Matt Wayne, Superintendent, Hayward Unified School District
Moderated by John Merrow, Education Correspondent, PBS News Hour