Protecting Rights of Teachers

Adrienne Mack, in “Board Should Put Students Before Unions,” April 28, wrote a thought-provoking essay but let her emotions cloud her journalistic balance.

The Assn. of Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) does not have the legislative authority to judge or sentence its members. As with the United Teachers-Los Angeles (UTLA), one of our major roles is to ensure that our members have due process when necessary. The responsibility of ascertaining if an employee should be censured, fired, transferred or demoted rests with the superintendent and the Los Angeles Board of Education.

Will Mack agree to give up her due process rights including tenure so that teachers can be disciplined or fired unilaterally? If so she should petition her association to take that position. AALA has wanted to take over the “policing” of our members. We are quite willing to join with UTLA to judge the merits of disciplinary action of our individual members as long as we also have the authority to take any and all action.

She also stated that she “is not advocating a return to an era that allows any employee to fire teachers.” What exactly is she advocating? I would like her suggestions as to other alternatives that would not cripple due process. Teachers as well as other employees need protection from the whims of supervisors or even fellow employees. Mack needs this protection as well, so that she can write articles and speak out.

ELI BRENT

Brent is president of AALA