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Education Committee Deals ‘Blow to Vocational Education’ Says Huff
Arcadia Weekly May 08, 2015
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Members of the Senate Education Committee bowed to union pressure today and refused to support legislation authored by Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) that sought to strengthen and promote the highly successful Linked Learning, or Career Pathways, programs at all California schools. SB 381 would have allowed, but not mandated, school districts to protect specially trained Pathways teachers from layoffs or “bumping” due to reassignments.
The Chair of the Senate Education Committee instead “held the bill in committee,” a sort of legislative limbo that will prevent the bill from moving forward or ever getting out of committee this year.
“I’m disappointed that my colleagues on the Senate Education Committee put the interests of adults first over the needs of students when it comes to the education of our children,” said Senator Huff following today’s hearing. “The specially trained teachers who serve in these Pathways programs are unique because they work across areas of study with other teachers, often using project based learning. So when layoffs or reassignments are made, even losing just one Linked Learning teacher can disrupt a program or even dismantle it.”
Union leaders and dozens of teachers who are union members showed up in force to oppose SB 381 because they believed it threatened the “Last In First Out (LIFO)” employment model that many schools are forced to operate under. Under LIFO layoff rules, junior teachers and other employees lose their jobs before senior ones.
This is the same employment rule that a Superior Court Judge in Los Angeles County declared unconstitutional last year in the Vergara v. California case because it protected bad teachers and hurt students. The State of California has appealed the decision.
“Substantial evidence presented makes it clear to this court that the challenged statutes disproportionately affect poor and/or minority students,” Judge Rolf Treu wrote in his ruling. “The evidence is compelling. Indeed, it shocks the conscience.”
The Chair of the Senate Education Committee advised Senator Huff to hold the bill in committee after it became apparent that it did not have enough votes to pass. Senator Huff requested an up or down vote on the bill instead and addressed the inequalities that students in California face because of a union-run system that hurts good teachers. Senator Huff’s request for a committee vote on his bill was not granted.
“It shocks the conscience that we, as legislators would enact and keep such a system that puts the principles of education into the hands of those that are teaching, rather than those who are being taught,” Senator Huff concluded. “We had a nice line of educators who were paid to be here today because they have a contract that says they can take days off and leave their students with substitute teachers, so they can come here and basically protect their jobs.”
