L.A. school board votes 4-3 on motion to ease teacher firing

Members approve a resolution, opposed by the teachers union, to suggest changes to state laws that would expedite the firing of teachers accused of serious crimes.

By Jason Song
10:12 PM PDT, June 9, 2009

The Los Angeles Unified school board narrowly passed a resolution Tuesday to suggest changes to state laws that would expedite the firing of teachers accused of serious crimes.

The resolution, approved on a 4-3 vote, was a much milder version of an unsuccessful proposal by retiring school board member Marlene Canter to facilitate the teacher dismissal process. Even so, it was fiercely debated, as union leaders and some board members called for greater teacher input.

The debate underscored the political sensitivity of the discussion, which came about a month after a Times investigation found that firing permanent teachers can sometimes be cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming.

A recently convened task force on teacher quality and discipline will study the issue and make suggestions to state lawmakers, who can then decide whether to change the state education code.

"This is our opportunity to walk that talk -- that kids come first," said board member Yolie Flores Aguilar, one of the motion's sponsors.

The resolution had been withdrawn twice because of lack of support and union opposition. It originally asked that the district lobby to alter state laws to ease the firing of teachers deemed to be poor instructors, but Canter, the resolution's author, revised it to focus only on teachers accused of egregious or immoral acts.

She acknowledged that any attempt to discuss teacher firings is controversial and stressed more than half a dozen times that the resolution had nothing to do with the teacher evaluation process. It would apply only to instructors accused of unacceptable acts who had been fired by the school board and were appealing the decision to the state board.

"It's very difficult to bring up the topic of dismissal without people feeling very protective," Canter said.

Representatives from several business organizations, including the city Chamber of Commerce, testified in favor of the resolution.

"It provides some common sense" in the teacher dismissal process, said Aaron Green, legislative affairs manager for the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.

But United Teachers Los Angeles leaders said they had no input into the resolution -- an allegation Canter denied -- and that it would be sure to fail in Sacramento without their support.

"Please make UTLA a partner in this effort. Reject this motion and embrace a collaboration that will lead to success for all," wrote A.J. Duffy, the teachers union president, in a letter sent Monday to all board members.

Duffy also said the process had become "so politically motivated that it's disgusting." At the meeting, he asked that a vote be delayed until July 1. Canter's last day in office is June 30.

Some school board members said they believed that state lawmakers would not change education laws without union support, and Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte said she didn't believe the task force could solve any problems.

"I don't see this as a fix. We need a fix," said LaMotte, who voted against the resolution.

Julie Korenstein, who engaged in tense negotiations with Canter over possible amendments to the measure, also voted no, as did Richard Vladovic.

But the majority of school board members said they believed the task force was the right step.

"With all due respect, Mr. Duffy, you're on the wrong side of history on this issue," said Tamar Galatzan, another resolution sponsor.

School Board President Monica Garcia also voted for the motion.

The task force will be headed by former Occidental President Ted Mitchell, who was once a candidate to be L.A. Unified's superintendent. Current Supt. Ramon C. Cortines will name other members, including union representatives, parents and administrators, to the committee in the near future.

Duffy said he believed the union had the right to name its own members to the committee and that he would fight to ensure that happens.

jason.song@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 5460.story