Split ruling issued in teacher tenure lawsuit

A Baton Rouge judge has tossed out on constitutional grounds part of an education revamp pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, but has upheld the centerpiece provisions that changed teacher tenure and salary laws. Judge Michael Caldwell ruled this afternoon that the section of the legislation dealing with the authority of local school boards violates the state constitution because it doesn’t fit into the stated objective of the law. Caldwell’s ruling does away with changes that lessened the power of local school boards over hiring and firing, as well as those that required the state education superintendent’s review of local school superintendent contracts. However, Caldwell ruled provisions of the law eliminating statewide teacher pay scales and making it tougher for teachers to reach the job protection status of tenure are constitutional. Jindal released a statement shortly after the ruling, calling it a “victory” for students and teachers. “This ruling upholds the core purpose of the law—rewarding effective teachers and supporting ineffective teachers who want to improve,” the statement reads. Today’s ruling comes on the heels of another court ruling that’s being touted as a victory for the voucher program by its supporters. In a case regarding a separate challenge to the program in Tangipahoa Parish, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay in the case late Friday, meaning the program can go forth in the parish while the outcome of the appeal is sorted out. A New Orleans-based federal judge ruled last month that the program conflicts with a desegregation case in Tangipahoa Parish and ordered it halted.