The New York Times (2/1, Medina, Subscription Publication) runs an article on the lawsuit “challenging California’s ironclad tenure system,” noting that a group of nine school students argue that the protections, which make it difficult to fire substandard teachers, violate “their right to a good education.” The piece notes that the students are backed by David F. Welch, “a Silicon Valley technology magnate who is financing the case and an all-star cast of lawyers.” On the other side are the “powerful” teachers unions, which “contend that the protections are necessary to ensure that teachers are not fired unfairly.”

Both Sides Make Hay From Deasy Testimony. The Los Angeles Times (2/3, Blume) reports that Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy “was the early star witness--for both sides.” The Times reports that the plaintiffs called Deasy first, and he “testified that he is simply unable to remove all ‘grossly ineffective’ teachers,” but notes that on cross-examination, “Deasy’s testimony also demonstrated a school system’s latitude under current law.”