As every child learns early, when you enter a debate unarmed, without a worthy counterargument, you are obligated to promptly change the subject if you care to finish with your skin spanning all of your bones.
Welcome to the fairy tale world of teacher tenure in California, where a job-for-life is yours without asking, where the now-overruled and loaded last-in, first-out policy has been mercifully killed, pending appeal.
Once a teaching credential has been gained, the person is guaranteed employment to the grave unless – unless he is caught shooting more than six people. Teaching ability is as irrelevant to job longevity as the fabric of an instructor’s sox. Hardly anyone is fired because it takes too long, costs too much.
Incompetent teachers hold their jobs for life — unless a school district harbors a magical bottomless slush fund and can afford to blow four to 10 years crawling through an anxious, circuitous appeals path with no assurances at the far end.
All of this to can a slob employee whom a bank can unload in five minutes. Your government in action.
This freebie joy ride of lollipops and ice cream was ruled unconstitutional three months ago, and now our favorite leftists are appealing with nonsensical arguments unrelated to teacher tenure.
My blue ribbon for ignorant responses goes to one of the most uselessly employed people in state government, Tommy Torlakson, state superintendent of schools. “The people who dedicate their lives to the teaching profession deserve our admiration and support,” he said. How is a teacher more “dedicated” than a bank teller or a grease monkey? What are they sacrificing? Nothing. They are dedicated to earning a comfortable living, just as bus drivers, waitresses, you and I are. But the gobbledegook by teachers unions has worked for decades with easily impressed parents who do not follow the news.
No adult Democrat leaves home without his paid-up labor union endorsements. Bent into the shape of a hunchback by his lifetime of obligations to labor unions, Gov. (I Do What I Am Told) Brown’s appeal of June’s sensible court ruling killing teacher tenure was announced yesterday.
Chewing in a twisted pretzel, the president of the California Federation of Teachers, one Josh Pechthalt, said, “This ruling says tat education reform should be driven by how we fire teachers.”
A little touchy, Joshie?
Mr. Torlakson said that since doctors are not blamed for capacity ERs and firemen are not faulted when their water supply goes dry, how can you blame teachers for overloaded classrooms? Who blamed teachers? But then that is your point, isn’t it, Mr. Torlakson? Change the subject.