Belabored Podcast #54: Teacher Tenure on Trial

This week brought bad news for public schools, when a California court ruled in Vergara v. California that teacher tenure laws were unconstitutional. Belabored talks to California teacher Frank Wells about the implications of the lawsuit, the motivations behind it, and why tech companies are so interested in changing schools. Plus: World Cup unrest in Brazil, a win for child care workers in Vermont, and more.

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This week brought bad news for public schools, when a California court ruled that the laws governing teachers’ due process rights were unconstitutional. The attack on teacher tenure known as Vergara v. California was funded by wealthy tech entrepreneurs and a host of the usual corporate education reform groups. Belabored talks to Frank Wells, a former classroom teacher and now California Teachers Association staff member, about the implications of the lawsuit, the motivations behind the attacks on tenure, and why tech companies are so interested in changing schools.

We also discuss strikes in Brazil in the lead-up to the World Cup, the victory of child care workers in Vermont, taxi drivers in Europe struggling to keep out Uber, and janitors at Target bringing the retail giant to the bargaining table.

News

Strikes threaten to disrupt Brazil’s World Cup (Al Jazeera America)

Brazil is facing an unprecedented labor crisis with the World Cup just days away (Slate)

Dave Zirin, Is a “Systematic Political Campaign” responsible for Brazil’s World Cup protests? (The Nation)

Unions slam “slave state” Qatar World Cup (Yahoo! Sport Australia)

Angry cab drivers gridlock Europe in protest at ‘unregulated’ taxi app (Guardian)

Vermont child care providers win collective bargaining rights (Jobs With Justice)

Early Childhood Educators Partner With Union and Workers’ Center, Score Historic Victory (Truthout)

Target hands a big victory to to low-wage janitors in Minnesota (Huffington Post)

Non-union Target janitors in Minneapolis go on strike (MSNBC)

Conversation with Frank Wells

The Vergara Trial (activist website)