Eugene Jackson writes:
“I noticed in today’s column that you stated an assumption that is not true for school principals (that firing an educator is so difficult and costly it’s nearly impossible). Eleven (actually 13, two at Bear Creek) principals in Stockton are being released on a legal gimmick, known as the March 15 Notice and Release process.
He attached a memo from the Association of California School Administrators that explains how the ax can fall.
“Certificated Administrators are “at-will” and have no job security, especially when a new superintendent wants to send a message that he is in charge,” Jackson said. “Note the (line in the memo), “no reason, or any reason no matter how trivial will suffice”. Next to impossible to fire an educator? Not if you are a certificated administrator.”
I don’t have a problem with that. That’s how the private sector operates: employees can be let go at any time. The other end of the spectrum can be seen in Lincoln Unified’s attempt to fire teacher/small-time pornographer Heidi Kaeslin. The process has taken over a year so far, and is expected to cost up to $300,000.
I’d support any reasonable union process that protected teachers form arbitrary and capricious firing. But union-backed legislation has made teachers all but bullet-proof.
So county education chiefs reckoned the educator spotlighted in today’s column could be got rid of efficiently only by throwing more money at her. The state Auditor’s report says, “They believed the correct approach was to speedily end the former regional director’s tenure at San Joaquin under a separation agreement that she would actually sign.”
Imagine a world in which you can practice such corrupt contracting but your boss practically can’t fire you unless you agree to be fired. That perverts the management of teachers.
