Editing Education reform (section)

===Teacher tenure===
Critics of teacher tenure claim that the laws protect ineffective teachers from being fired, which can be detrimental to student success. Tenure laws vary from state to state, but generally they set a probationary period during which the teacher proves themselves worthy of the lifelong position. Probationary periods range from one to three years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ecs.force.com/mbdata/mbquestRTL?rep=TT01|title=Teacher Tenure - Requirements for earning nonprobationary status|website=ecs.force.com|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref> Advocates for tenure reform often consider these periods too short to make such an important decision; especially when that decision is exceptionally hard to revoke.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Coleman|first1=Julianne|last2=Schroth|first2=Stephen T.|last3=Molinaro|first3=Lisa|last4=Green|first4=Mark|date=2005-09-01|title=Tenure: An Important Due Process Right or a Hindrance to Change in the Schools? |journal=Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education|language=en|volume=18|issue=3|pages=219|doi=10.1007/s11092-006-9020-5|s2cid=145182500|issn=0920-525X}}</ref> Due process restriction protect tenured teachers from being wrongfully fired; however these restrictions can also prevent administrators from removing ineffective or inappropriate teachers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2010/03/pdf/teacher_dismissal.pdf|title=Removing Chronically Ineffective Teachers|last=Chait|first=Robin|date=2010-03-07|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref> A 2008 survey conducted by the US Department of Education found that, on average, only 2.1% of teachers are dismissed each year for poor performance.<ref name=":1" />

In October 2010 [[Apple Inc.]] CEO [[Steve Jobs]] had a consequential meeting with U.S. President [[Barack Obama]] to discuss U.S. competitiveness and the nation's [[Education in the United States|education system]]. During the meeting Jobs recommended pursuing policies that would make it easier for school principals to hire and fire teachers based on merit.<ref>{{Citation | last = Isaacson | first = Walter | author-link = Walter Isaacson | title = Steve Jobs | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | year = 2011 | pages = 544–45 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6e4cDvhrKhgC | isbn = 9781451648539}}</ref>

In 2012 tenure for school teachers was challenged in a California lawsuit called ''[[Vergara v. California]]''. The primary issue in the case was the impact of tenure on student outcomes and on equity in education.  On June 10, 2014, the trial judge ruled that California's teacher tenure statute produced disparities that "[[Shocks the conscience|shock the conscience]]"<ref>{{cite court |litigants = Vergara v. California - Judgment |pinpoint = page 7, line 21 | court = Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles |date = August 27, 2014 |url= http://studentsmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SM_Final-Judgment_08.28.14.pdf}}</ref> and violate the equal protection clause of the [[Constitution of California|California Constitution]].<ref>{{cite court |litigants = Vergara (2014) - Judgment |pinpoint = page 3, lines 19-27 |url= http://studentsmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SM_Final-Judgment_08.28.14.pdf}}</ref>