Accountabiliy
Even with tenure, teachers – good and bad – can be let go
October 12, 2010
Column: Carol Veravanich, The Orange County
Register I have
some questions for you. ... Do you understand that tenure is
something unique to your profession and not practiced in private
industry? Do you understand that in private industry, companies may
choose to eliminate more experienced (and higher paid) employees
just to stay in business? If you understand even some of this, then
why should teaches be considered special and be protected by
"tenure" just because they have seniority? I think a better policy
for education is to treat it more like private industry and get rid
of any employees – regardless of "tenure" – that are not doing
their job well. This policy would make all teachers
accountable...
School intervention specialist works to impede drug use
September 17, 2010
Brittany Levine, The Orange County Register
A frantic parent shot off
an e-mail laced with exclamation marks to Mike Darnold. Her son was
losing weight and told her he was smoking marijuana. She was
concerned that he may be doing harder drugs. She asked, "Don't you
get the munchies when you smoke pot?" Another parent called Darnold
as the parent was running down the street after his stepdaughter,
who had been caught having parties involving alcohol. What should
he do?…
Making schools accountable
September 30, 2005
Editorial, The Orange County Register
The governor has signed
legislation that will help parents understand how schools spend
their money. Accountability and transparency of public school
finances advanced a step this week with a new bill signed into law
by the governor. It’s SB687 by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo
Alto. It requires that, beginning with the fall 2006-07 school
year, "estimated per pupil expenditures" and "an average of
salaries paid to" teachers at each public school and charter school
be tallied and reported...