Article from LA Times, January 27, 2014. ACCJC and a court case on tenure

The LA Times published an article examining the criticisms of the ACCJC.  Beno admits that there has been some damage to the reputation.  She is still adamant that there is nothing wrong with the ACCJC's politcies.  She states:

But agency President Barbara Beno said in an interview that politicians and others with little understanding of the accrediting process are applying unwarranted political pressure to a group that is already being urged by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that colleges resolve problems quickly. Congress has set a two-year time frame by which schools need to improve or risk losing accreditation.
"The commission has the authority to act as the gatekeeper for federal funds and in order to act as gatekeeper we need to make decisions as the need warrants," Beno said. "When an institution can't meet standards in a timely way, however sad, we're obliged to act. We didn't make the decision on City College lightly. We're aware of the potential impact on students and the community, but standards are standards."

Right now, the courts will decide the fate of both CCSF and the ACCJC.

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Tenure in court.

The LA Times reports that a new case focusing on K-12 about tenure has now started.  Court cases set precedents, so this case should be watched.  The complaint goes as follows:

Arguments begin Monday in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of laws that govern California’s teacher tenure rules, seniority policies and the dismissal process -- an overhaul of which could upend controversial job security for instructors.
The lawsuit, filed by the nonprofit advocacy group Students Matter, contends these education laws are a violation of the Constitution's equal protection guarantee because they do not ensure all students have access to an adequate education.
Vergara vs. California, filed on behalf of nine students and their families in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks to revamp a dismissal process the plaintiffs say is too costly and time consuming, lengthen the time period for instructors to gain tenure and dismantle the "last hired, first fired" policies that fail to consider teacher effectiveness.

If tenure is eliminated or modified in K-12, it may also affect higher education.