They are, or were, all competent. Which means tney know (or knew) exactly who is, and is not, competent on their faculty rosters. A couple of glasses of wine and a friendly seting, and they can tell you, chapter and verse. But a major problem is, the incompetents rarely, if ever, are weeded out.

Similarly, my adult children went through the California public school system. Each had experience of incompetence; for the most part, those individuals still are teaching. They are protected by union contracts that treat everyone as shop floor employees, though of course they will claim to be professionals.

Our kids both did OK, wound up with graduate and post-graduate degrees, mostly because as parents, we were always on top of their situations and did our best to make sure they were spared, to the best degree possible, the ill effects of the incompetents.

As to the matter of the LA Unified District, that district and its operations are a statewide, perhaps national, scandal. The latest revelation, that 98 percent of those student teachers who don’t quit or otherwise drop out get a job, is just another episode in the ongoing soap opera. In that case, essentially everyone called a student teacher with a body temp somewhere around 98.6/F is hired.

And of course, every parent in the district who can, already has transferred his/her kid into a private, voucher or private school situation. And the bureaucrats continue to wonder why.

Bill
(Picks up soapbox; leaves.)

My district does tenure in 5 years. This is not a guarantee that I can’t be fired — just that they need cause.

You have to be re-evaluated for a drivers license every 4 years? Here in Massachusetts, we don’t have to do anything but pass a vision test and pay a fee (though there is beginning to be some noise about retesting when you hit 65 or 70 or 75).

My impression is that most states have this kind of “tenure” for drivers licenses.

Unions exist solely to protect the Lazy, the Weak and the Stupid. Unions have done absolutely nothing for me…my first and only one, which I was required to join, was staffed by unethical people.

NO ONE should have a guaranteed, “can’t be fired,” job. It only breeds laziness and bad results. Just look at our schools in CA…completely controlled by the teachers union.
The last thing the teachers want is competition! If that happens, then everyone will know how incompetent the are.

I ask all teachers: You have a long list of excuses for your poor results. So why not allow a competing system whereby my tax dollars can be used to purchase private schooling and / or charter schooling?
Why are you against it? Because then you will be exposed!

I think tenure should be be expanded to other things…like drivers licenses.

I got mine at 16 and it’s a pain to be re-evaluated re-tested every 4 yrs.

Why can’t I have a “tenured” drivers license that can’t be involuntary taken away — ever? Haven’t I proved that I’m competent at driving by now?

Uh…I forgot what I was talking about. Where’s my car keys? …and where’s my car?

Maybe the rate at which tenure is achieved gives a clue.