Tenure, Temerity and the Truth

By Larry Sand
02/11/2014
Los Angeles Times op-ed and teachers union defense of educational status quo are packed with malarkey. Now in its third week, the Students Matter trial still has a ways to go. Initially scheduled to last four weeks, the proceedings are set to run longer. On Friday, Prosecutor Marcellus McRae told Judge Rolf Treu that the...

TAGS: American Enterprise Institute, Andrew Biggs, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, David Welch, Dean Vogel, Democrats for Education Reform, Gloria Romero, Heritage Foundation, Jason Richwine, Joe Williams, Kevin Chavous, LA School Report, Larry Sand, Michelle Rhee, National Council on Teacher Quality, permanence, seniority, Students Matter, StudentsFirst, Teach For America, tenure

The Department of Justice on Student Suspensions

By Larry Sand
01/21/2014
A recent memo accuses educators of racial discrimination while failing, with a few exceptions, to address the real problems. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a series of guidelines regarding the suspension of students from school. In short, though partially correct, the DOJ report is misguided, misleading, and missing key elements relevant...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, City Journal, Larry Sand, National Council on Teacher Quality, National Education Association, racism, RiShawn Biddle, seniority, teachers union, tenure, Vergara v California, zero tolerance

California Teachers Association: Clichés-R-Us

By Larry Sand
12/29/2013
CTA ends 2013 spewing meaningless bromides in an effort to convince us that the union is the victim and the Students Matter lawsuit is the work of a vast corporate conspiracy. On January 27th, the Students Matter (Vergara v. California) case starts in Los Angeles. John Fensterwald explains that the lawsuit … asserts that five...

TAGS: Andrew Coulson, California Teachers Association, David Welch, Dean Vogel, John Fensterwald, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, RiShawn Biddle, seniority, Students Matter, teachers union, tenure, Vergara v California

Union Blather and Students Matter

By Larry Sand
12/10/2013
National Education Association new “reform” document is free of substance. Apparently threatened by the education reform movement taking hold across the country, the National Education Association has decided to join the party. In concert with six other organizations – including the American Federation of Teachers – the biggest union in the country has released “Excellent...

TAGS: California Teachers Association, Finland, John Fensterwald, Larry Sand, National Education Association, seniority, Students Matter, teachers union, tenure, Vergara v California

The Not So Merry Month of May

By Larry Sand
01/08/2013
In California schools, the fifth month (formerly known as May) is now Labor History Month. As Kevin Dayton pointed out in Union Watch last week, the entire month of May is now officially deemed Labor History Month in California. Courtesy of AB 2269, the state education code has been amended to read, The month of...

TAGS: California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, California Teachers Empowerment Network, Dennis Van Roekel, Labor History Month, Larry Sand, National Right to Work Foundation, Prop. 30, Prop. 38, Randi Weingarten, SB 1530, seniority, teachers unions, tenure

Former Union Boss to Become Charter School Operator

By Larry Sand
09/06/2011
Once a rabid anti-reformer, termed out United Teachers of Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy has become a union apostate…maybe. On September 1st, Los Angeles Times writer Howard Blume wrote what at first glance appeared to be satire. He reported that A.J. Duffy is starting his own charter school. For those of you who live a...

TAGS: A.J. Duffy, California Teachers Association, Charter schools, Los Angeles Unfied School District, tenure, United Teachers of Los Angeles