Ralia Polechronis | The Huffington Post
“Last week, the California Supreme Court told nine brave students it would not consider their constitutional challenge to state statutes that allow thousands of chronically ineffective teachers to remain in classrooms. Although the intermediate court ruling against the students stands as law in California, it is far from the definitive or widespread victory that opponents assert it is. The simple fact is that California’s highest court has not ruled – nor has any state’s highest court, for that matter – on the constitutionality of archaic, quality-blind tenure rules that protect even chronically underperforming teachers. In short, this fight is far from over.
Courts play an invaluable role in movements of social change, including monumental decisions on desegregation, marriage equality, and access to healthcare. But cases like Brown v. Board of Education do not happen overnight. They are the product of long-term incremental action, where even a loss or a decision not to act can pave the way for victory.”