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LAUSD Teachers From Santa Clarita Continue Strike For School Improvements (VIDEO)

For the first time in 30 years, LAUSD teachers, including some from Santa Clarita, have come together on the picket lines for a strike destined to improve schools throughout the district.


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Joining together on the third day as of Wednesday, Los Angeles Unified School District teachers returned to the perimeters of their schools to unite with thousands across Los Angeles County.

“None of us want to be on the picket line. Every day I worry about the learning that should be happening in my class right now,” said Michelle Serrano, a Santa Clarita resident and LAUSD teacher. “But I have been waiting for 26 years for the district to make my kids a priority. The time is now to make a stand. Another three decades of inaction cannot happen.”

Educators who are part of the United Teachers Los Angeles union are seeking smaller class sizes and increased pay, as well as the hiring of nurses, counselors and librarians, officials said.

The union, which consists of more than 33,000 educators employed by LAUSD, is also the second largest educators’ union in the United States, according to the organization.

“At the core of UTLA’s strategic plan is a very basic concept: If public education is to survive and thrive in Los Angeles, it is time for us to call the question on why our schools are being starved,” said union officials.

Although California stands as the fifth largest economy in the world, it sits at 46th among the states in per-pupil funding, according to officials.

UTLA is currently advocating to fund schools at $20,000 per student by 2020.

Throughout her nearly three decades of teaching, Serrano says she has experienced different class sizes ranging from 22 to 40 students.

“Being an English teacher, numbers count when you take into account the workload I take home every day,” said Serrano. “This year I have 155 students. For a standard three-page essay, that’s 465 pages I read, edit and grade. None of that is done in the classroom.”

And while Serrano is not the only one at John F. Kennedy High School that wants a reduction to class sizes, she is also joined by other teachers on the picket lines.

“My kids are at Santa Clarita Elementary and they don’t have to worry about that,” said Mandy Arentoft, English teacher and UTLA organizer. “I want the kids who I teach to have that same experience.”

Through financial reports, teachers have noticed that the district has reported a $1.8 billion surplus, according to Tim Ritenour, English department chair at the high school.

“I have a savings account that I save for a rainy day, but I give my kids what they need on a daily basis in my family,” said Arentoft. “LAUSD is my family too, and our kids need that money spent on them now.”

Negotiations between district officials and teachers broke off Friday, but neither side accepted a deal.

The offer included reducing class sizes in middle schools, and adding a full-time nurse at every elementary school and another academic counselor at high schools, among other things.

The increased staffing in the offer would only be for one year, leading UTLA to reject the offer, according to officials.

“Our last offer to UTLA was last Friday,” said Superintendent Austin Beutner during a press conference Tuesday. “UTLA walked away. They have not been willing to resume contract negotiations.”

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $10 million in funding to pay for mental health services that will provide a daily nurse in every elementary school within the district.

“LA County has sufficient resources, and this is part of fulfilling our mandate to provide medical services to the most vulnerable,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, a former high school teacher himself.

As the second largest school district in the country, union members say it’s unacceptable to also have the highest class sizes in the country without an effective solution.

“As a teacher, I want my students to be prepared to not only just take their place in society, but to also strive to make it better,” said Serrano. “These are your future workers, leaders and support staff in California. With this in mind, I want the best for them. I’ll be on the picket line until they get it.”

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LAUSD Teachers From Santa Clarita Continue Strike For School Improvements (VIDEO)

9 comments

  1. How about removing students that don’t belong in our country much less in our classrooms which will create more room and save money by removing the free breakfast and lunch for this same kids. I don’t like paying for other people’s kids much less kids that shouldn’t be here.

  2. Absolutely agree! Our schools are so overcrowded because of the high percentage of non-citizen students they have to keep accepting! Our resources are drained! Our teachers are drained! How much more are citizens supposed to stomach? Why aren’t they pointing out WHY our schools are so overcrowded? It’s the truth and too bad if the truth offends.

  3. Education is a Privilege NOT a right….if you are here illegally!! Our citizens suffer because of these law breakers! Building that wall is just the start for keeping these people out of our schools, out of our programs and out of our country! Imagine how much funding we would have available for AMERICANS if we weren’t busy supporting and feeding illegals!!!

  4. Speaking as a longtime educator working for LAUSD, I can assure you that my VERY BEST students have consistently been IMMIGRANTS of every status. Even with all of the adversity they face, they blow your spoiled, egocentric “American” children out of the water. EVERY. TIME. If I didn’t have to deal with your over-privileged little monsters, and their whiney, ignorant, uneducated, racist parents, my students could actually get ahead in this world. GD, get a backbone, people. And, a heart.

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About Lorena Mejia

Lorena was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She attended California State University Northridge where she double majored in Journalism and Chicano Studies and minored in Spanish Language Journalism. While at CSUN, she worked for the university's television and radio newscast. Through her journalistic work, she earned membership to Kappa Tau Alpha, a national honor society for selected journalists. Her passion for the community has introduced her to new people, ideas, and issues that have helped shape the person she is today. Lorena’s skills include using cameras as a tool to empower people by informing them and creating change in their communities. Some of her hobbies include reading the news, exploring the outdoors, and being an avid animal lover. To contact Lorena, send your messages to lorena@hometownstation.com.