An LA County — government run — killed so many patients it had to be shut down, even after five years of attempted reforms.

The LA schools, a failure by any measure, just figured out something basic.

Los Angeles schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines ordered administrators Thursday to weed out ineffective new teachers before they become permanent, acknowledging that the nation’s second-largest school system has largely failed to adequately evaluate teacher performance.

“This district can be rightly criticized for the promotion of ineffective teachers over the years. That is about to change,” Cortines said. “We do not owe poor performers a job.”

Well, duh. Did it take a new educational theory to learn that basic truth?

Taking aim at weak probationary teachers now could spare the district from firing others who are more effective but have slightly less experience next summer when there will probably be another round of layoffs. Teachers must be let go by seniority, according to state law, which has forced the Los Angeles Unified School District to ignore performance in its dismissals, officials said.

Hmm. Do you think the teachers union got that law passed?

The announcement came a week after The Times presented L.A. Unified with the results of an investigation that found the district often doesn’t meaningfully assess new teachers before they are granted tenure. The story is scheduled to appear in Sunday’s paper.

What a concept: weed out bad teachers before you offer them lifetime employment.