By Lyndsey Layton
When a California judge struck down tenure and other job protections for teachers this week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) both applauded, revealing fissures in the once-solid alliance between labor unions and the Democratic Party.
“It’s a pivot point but one that’s been coming for a long time,” said Charles Barone, a former aide to Miller who is policy director for Democrats for Education Reform, an advocacy group formed in 2007 that promotes many ideas opposed by unions.