L.A. Public Schools Layoff Some of Their Best Teachers: Union Contract Protects the Worst Through Seniority

The L.A. Times reports on who wins and loses in the L.A. Public School system:

Because seniority is largely unrelated to performance, the district has laid off hundreds of its most promising math and English teachers. About 190 ranked in the top fifth in raising scores and more than 400 ranked in the top 40%.

Schools in some of the city's poorest areas were disproportionately hurt by the layoffs. Nearly one in 10 teachers in South Los Angeles schools was laid off, nearly twice the rate in other areas. Sixteen schools lost at least a fourth of their teachers, all but one of them in South or Central Los Angeles.

It's time to separate school from state.