California Teacher Union Officials Hinder Probationary Periods

The California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers disapprove of a probationary period bill currently before the legislature. The bill would extend the probationary period for new teachers to 3 years, which is more of a standard across the nation.  John Fensterwald has the story in edsource.org.

Legislation to add a year to the two-year probationary period for California teachers passed the Assembly Education Committee, its first test, on Wednesday after contentious exchanges between the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, and committee Chairman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach.

With Weber voting in favor, Assembly Bill 1220 got the bare minimum of four votes to move on. O’Donnell, a former teacher and teachers union representative, cast the sole vote against it, while Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, a candidate for the 2018 race for state superintendent of public instruction, expressed concerns about the bill but didn’t vote.