The Buzz: New EdVoice initiative takes on California teacher discipline process

An education advocacy group is pushing a ballot initiative that would streamline the process for firing abusive teachers, after two bills on the subject failed.

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill this year, a year after another measure crumbled in committee amid opposition from the California Teachers Association. The proposed ballot measure has been submitted by EdVoice, a nonprofit that backs charter schools and pushes an agenda often at odds with teacher unions. The proposed measure focuses on the worst offenders, setting up a compressed hearing process for teachers accused of severe offenses that include child molestation, child abuse and offering drugs to students.

“As we’ve witnessed over the last two or three legislative cycles, the Legislature has gotten caught up in trying to make the issue of improving the law contingent on treating everyone the same,” said Bill Lucia, the president and CEO of EdVoice, adding that the initiative draws a “bright line about the type of the more egregious version of misconduct.”

Teachers’ association spokeswoman Claudia Briggs said the group had not taken a position.

Jeremy B. White

This story was originally published December 11, 2013 at 12:00 AM with the headline "The Buzz: New EdVoice initiative takes on California teacher discipline process."