Vergara Suit – We Have A Winner!

3 Replies to “Vergara Suit – We Have A Winner!”

1. Actually this case and Miramonte, when litigated, will highlight the real reasons why the Los Angeles Unified School District has the terrible time hiring and retaining excellent teachers:

   John Deasy and other administrators leave the classroom as soon as possible and then demonstrate profound disdain for those who devote themselves to the classroom;

   The district ignored the Stull Act, enacted in 1970, which requires all teachers to be evaluated according to student progress;

   The district almost always hired late and gave almost everyone tenure;

   The district transferred people like Mark Berndt from school to school and ignored complaints made by students, parents and teachers;

   The district failed to report accused child molesters to police and the state, as required by law;

   District administrators gave over 95% of teachers glowing evaluations.

   In addition to the above, the district lied about the number of teachers dismissed. Because teachers are on contracts, only a few are fired during the year. Many more are released at the end of a year or quietly counseled or pressured to resign or retire. These people are not listed as “fired.” Of course, almost 50% of new teachers, talented or not, resign during the first five years of employment, in many cases because LAUSD is such a bad place to work. This fact alone makes K-12 teaching the profession with the most turnover, but this is never mentioned. That is the real reason behind the fact that places like LAUSD have a terrible time attracting and retaining teachers. Not too many people want to work there during good economic times.

   John Deasy couldn’t even manage to call the police on a suspected child molester so it’s no surprise that he couldn’t get rid of ineffective teachers. After all, that requires competence on the part of management.

   Of course, Deasy doesn’t really want better teachers for the students. If he did, he’d rely on the tried and true methods: hiring early to get the best candidates, offering good salaries and benefits, offering help to new teachers, evaluating carefully etc. Successful districts, such as Long Beach, know how it’s done.

   Incompetent management results in poor retention of excellent teachers. Will a Vergara “victory” require Deasy to be replaced?

2. Deasy and LAUSD just disbanded the Miramonte investigation committee:
   LAUSD quietly disbands Miramonte child-abuse investigative panel

   The Los Angeles school district has quietly shut down a high-profile special investigative panel intended to review the Miramonte Elementary child-abuse case, citing its cost.

   The school system had pledged to form the commission in 2012 as a measure of its commitment to protect students after the arrest of veteran elementary teacher Mark Berndt, who was charged with lewd conduct.

   http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-miramonte-panel-20140507-story.html

3. It is my understanding that some families will take their cases to court. Let’s hope so because the district administration needs to be held accountable. The administrators who knew about the abuser and failed to notify authorities should face stiff penalties.

   How many “highly-qualified” teachers will now apply to LAUSD? Will it be the fault of “the unions?”