Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Vergara v. State of California Ruling

Washington DC – Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after the Los Angeles Superior Court issued its ruling on Vergara v. State of California:

 

“Today’s decision by the Los Angeles Superior Court ruling that teacher tenure laws are unconstitutional is disappointing. After spending more than 20 years as a classroom teacher, I learned that we are better off with teachers who see the profession as a mission and that great teachers develop over time with hard work and support from administrators. I am open to reviewing and adjusting tenure laws, but I don’t believe that the frustration with a few bad apples justifies stripping away this workforce protection. Calling teacher tenure unconstitutional ignores research that shows the importance of experience to a teacher’s success. If critics of teacher unions are concerned about the quality of education students may be receiving, then we should be doing more to provide teachers with opportunities to enhance their skills, not strip them of their workforce protections.”