30,000 LA teachers ‘strike ready’ as district refuses to spend $1.86 billion reserve on better pay, smaller class sizes
Educators and their allies in the second-largest school district in the nation are making a stand for students and education quality this week as more than 30,000 Los Angeles teachers prepare to go on strike, after the school district has refused to use its nearly $2 billion dollar reserve to provide educators with better pay, students with smaller class sizes, and much-needed funding for school programs.
After working for more than a year without a contract, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) is planning to walk out as early as Thursday if the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) does not meet their demands. The teachers voted almost unanimously last August to go on strike, and state-mandated mediation since the vote has done little to help further negotiations between the two sides.
UTLA argues that the school district has plenty of money set aside to provide educators with a 6.5 percent raise, hire more teachers to ensure smaller class sizes, and hire more nurses, school counselors, and librarians to support school communities. District nurses currently split their time between schools, leaving many buildings without a healthcare provider for much of the week.
Teachers also want the elimination of a section of their contract which states that the district can increase class sizes to save money.
“We want an agreement that works for our kids – that gets to a place where we’re CONTINUE READING:30,000 LA teachers 'strike ready' as district refuses to spend $1.86 billion reserve on better pay, smaller class sizes - NationofChange