Education Legislation Moving Into State Courthouses

Education Week (9/28, Cavanagh) reports that a slew of states which have seen recent legislative "battles over changes in education" are now seeing those laws being challenged in court "as unions and other critics of new laws challenge them on the grounds that they violate state constitutions and worker contracts." The piece notes that the legislation follows GOP gains in state government in 2010, resulting in "ambitious measures in many states that often drew strong opposition from teachers' unions. Points of dispute include changes in how teachers are evaluated and compensated and expansions of private school vouchers." The piece notes that the Florida Education Association, which is an affiliate of the NEA and the AFT, "is supporting this year's pension and merit-pay lawsuits."