P1 1WHEREAS, Sixty years ago in Brown v. Board of Education
2((1954) 347 U.S. 483) the United States Supreme Court noted that
3“education is perhaps the most important function of state and
4local governments”; and
5WHEREAS, A Los Angeles County Superior Court issued a
6tentative ruling in Vergara, et al. v. State of California, et al. (Case
7Number BC484642) (Vergara) that found California’s public
8education system to be unfair to low-income and minority students,
9who “bear the brunt of staffing inequalities”; and
10WHEREAS, The Los Angeles County Superior Court also found
11that the teacher dismissal statutes “impose a real and appreciable
12impact on students’ fundamental right to equality of education”;
13and
14WHEREAS, Teachers and students deserve motivating and
15challenging schools that set high standards and support teachers
16and students in reaching their goals; and
17WHEREAS, Teachers are an important component of a student’s
18success; and
19WHEREAS, The Los Angeles County Superior Court in Vergara
20noted that students faced with ineffective teachers become
21economically disadvantaged in comparison to their peers; and
22WHEREAS, Current research shows that replacing 5 to 8 percent
23of the least effective teachers with an average teacher would
24provide long-term benefits to the economy through enhanced
25productivity; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The gains from increased student achievement
2according to historical economic patterns, would be measured in
3trillions of dollars; and
4WHEREAS, The State of California bears the ultimate authority
5and responsibility to ensure that its district-based system of
6common schools provides basic equality of educational
7opportunity; and
8WHEREAS, It is the duty of the Legislature to enact laws that
9appropriately recognize and respond to the ruling in Vergara; now,
10therefore, be it
11Resolved by the Senate of the State of California,That the Senate
12proclaims June 2014 as Education Equality Month; and be it further
13Resolved,That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
14this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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