The California budget crisis may result in the laying-off of thousands of public school teachers across the state. Teachers who have already received pink slips are, of course, the youngest and/or newest, following the "last hired, first fired" model of the teaching profession.
Regardless of ability, promise or commitment, young teachers will be cut out of the profession by the droves while the public will continue to pay the salaries of many other teachers who should not be teaching, but who cannot be fired due to the iron-clad grip of tenure. Some of these "teachers" do not actually teach anymore--they have been removed from the classroom for reasons like student abuse and drug use--but they continue to receive their full salaries and benefits because it is so difficult to fire them.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported a great expose on this issue. Check out: