Award-Winning Newspaper of United Teachers Los Angeles • www.utla.net Volume XLVII, Number 3, November 17, 2017 Thousands rally to Save Our Schools Parents and educators demand progress from the district and the state. WEST AREA VALLEY EAST & NORTH AREA VALLEY WEST AREAS SOUTH & CENTRAL AREAS EAST AREA HARBOR AREA Raucous rallies on November 16 that pumped up the crowd, and the group “We are gathered here stretched from Harbor City to North Hills marched to the sound of honking cars. East today for one reason: to fight displayed the positive spirit of public edu- Area turned Mariachi Plaza into a lively for what we deserve from cation while sending a serious message demonstration for public education, with the district,” Monroe High about what’s at stake if we don’t stop Aztec dancers, drums, and chanting. At student Cindy Ruiz said at starving our schools and start supporting Los Angeles High School in the West Area, the Valley rally. “Teachers, educators. Parents, students, educators, members formed a human billboard along who want to see successful and community groups massed under the Olympic Boulevard, with the spirited tone futures for the students they “Save Our Schools” banner at six locations set by the LA High marching band. At teach, are paid little for the across the district, and each event had its Narbonne High, the Harbor Area com- jobs they do. Taking away own flavor and energy. munity stretched into a long picket line healthcare, taking away pay UTLA’s North Area marched from and ended the rally singing along to “Lean raises, and laying off teachers is no way forced to sit in crammed classes? When commuter-heavy Wilshire and Vermont on Me” and swaying together side to side. to thank them for everything they do.” will we finally get what we deserve?” to Young Oak Kim Academy, with the A big turnout of Valley East and Valley Ruiz asked the students in the crowd: The rallies took place during a week UCLA Community School Korean drum West members shut down Haskell Avenue “How many times have we as students sat with two contract bargaining sessions band providing the driving beat. At outside Monroe High School, where the in overcrowded classes where it is difficult with LAUSD—full contract bargaining Diego Rivera Learning Complex, where marching band set the stage for a speaker to learn? How many times have we had to and healthcare bargaining. South and Central Areas rallied, the kids program with parents, community groups, go to the nurse and she wasn’t available? In October, thanks to our escalating rock band from Miramonte Elementary teachers, and students. Been forced to take standardized tests and (continued on page 7) Side-by-side summary: UTLA & LAUSD contract proposals Page 4 United Teacher • for the latest news: www.utla.net November 17, 2017 United Teacher President’s perspective PRESIDENT Alex Caputo-Pearl NEA AFFILIATE VP Cecily Myart-Cruz AFT AFFILIATE VP Juan Ramirez Organizing and actions work ELEMENTARY VP Gloria Martinez SECONDARY VP Daniel Barnhart TREASURER Alex Orozco We’ve made progress on healthcare, and now we escalate our campaign even more. SECRETARY Arlene Inouye By Alex Caputo-Pearl EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Good UTLA President BOARD OF DIRECTORS A few weeks ago, as I was walking out NORTH AREA: Karla Griego, Chair (Buchanan ES), from a lunch meeting with members at Van Mark Ramos (Contreras LC), Rebecca Solomon (RFK Deene Elementary in the Harbor Area, I UCLA Comm. School), Julie Van Winkle (LOOC Liason) heard a familiar voice call my name. I gave SOUTH AREA: Maria Miranda, Chair (Miramonte ES), Ayde Bravo (Maywood ES), L. Cynthia Matthews Veronique Gathers, a plant manager and (McKinley ES), Karen Ticer-Leon (Tweedy ES) member of the Teamsters union at Van EAST AREA: Adrian Tamayo, Chair (Lorena ES), Deene, a hug. Her son, Marquise Williams, Ingrid Gunnell (Salary Point Advisor), Erica Huerta was one of the most remarkable social (Garfield HS), Gillian Russom (Roosevelt HS) justice student leaders I have ever worked WEST AREA: Erika Jones Crawford, Chair (CTA Director), Georgia Flowers Lee (Saturn ES), Noah Lippe-Klein with, back in the early 2000s—he was at (Dorsey HS), Larry Shoham (Hamilton HS) Dorsey High School in South LA while CENTRAL AREA: José Lara, Chair (Santee EC), I was teaching at rival Crenshaw down Kelly Flores (Hawkins HS), Tomas Flores (West the street. We talked about Marquise, and Vernon ES), Claudia Rodriquez (49th Street) family, and kids, and then Veronique said, VALLEY EAST AREA: Scott Mandel, Chair (Pacoima “I’m so glad all the unions are working Magnet), Victoria Casas (Beachy ES), Mel House (Elementary P.E.), Hector Perez-Roman (Arleta HS) together on our healthcare. I couldn’t be VALLEY WEST AREA: Bruce Newborn, Chair (Hale prouder of that. Let’s fight and win.” Charter), Melodie Bitter (Lorne ES), Wendi Davis A year ago this month, LAUSD sent me (Henry MS), Javier Romo (Mulholland MS) a letter stating that the district wanted to HARBOR AREA: Steve Seal, Chair (Eshelman ES), open healthcare bargaining a year ahead Canyon Elementary staff with Alex on a school visit. Karen Macias-Lutz (Del Amo ES), Jennifer McAfee (Dodson MS), Elgin Scott (Taper ES) of time. There were several pages attached, ADULT & OCCUP ED: Matthew Kogan (Evans CAS) arguing for draconian cuts to our health- How dare the district elementary report cards and benchmarks. care. I replied that there is a year left in the How dare the district spend two years • A flat-out rejection of our proposal BILINGUAL EDUCATION: Cheryl L. Ortega (Sub Unit) agreement and we’ll bargain at the right threatening our healthcare! How dare to allow Local School Leadership and EARLY CHILDHOOD ED: Corina Gomez (Pacoima EEC) time—not a year in advance. LAUSD threaten to punish educators for Shared Decision-Making councils have HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: Over that year, the LA Times, which LAUSD’s financial dilemmas when the Mallorie Evans (Marlton Spec Ed) more purview over how LCFF funds are Eli Broad funds, continued to regularly district has done little over the past few spent at school sites. It shouldn’t just be SPECIAL ED: Lucia Arias (Knollwood ES) publish attacks on public sector employ- years to address California being 46th out up to the principal. SUBSTITUTES: Benny Madera ees’ healthcare, often straight from a group of 50 states in per-pupil funding. How This is unacceptable. PACE CHAIR: Marco Flores called Cal Matters, which Broad also funds. dare the district threaten the funding for UTLA RETIRED: John Perez Meanwhile, Nick Melvoin ran an un- our healthcare when the corporate charter From starving and privatized precedented $13 million campaign for majority on the LAUSD School Board is to thriving and sustainable AFFILIATIONS School Board, based largely on attacking giving money away every time a new American Federation of Teachers The public wants a civic institution of National Education Association our healthcare. charter school is authorized or a failing education that is high-quality, sustain- All of this culminated with LAUSD’s charter school renewed. able over the long-term, and serves all STATE & NATIONAL OFFICERS pronouncement at the bargaining table this How dare the district stonewall us on CFT PRESIDENT: Joshua Pechthalt students. Our students, communities, and CTA PRESIDENT: Eric Heins past September that the district would be salary and offer just a 2% one-time bonus. city need this. CTA DIRECTOR: Erika Jones Crawford deeply cutting our healthcare. How dare the district refuse to move on We as educators need this—with an em- CFT VICE PRESIDENT: Juan Ramirez A month later, the district came back to our proposals on the class size and staffing phasis on the sustainability question—for NEA PRESIDENT: Lily Eskelsen Garcia the table and offered a three-year health- our students deserve. AFT PRESIDENT: Randi Weingarten our long-term job security, healthcare, and NEA DIRECTOR: Mel House care agreement with no increased costs In the face of Celerity, PUC, and Ref the opportunity to work as proud educa- for members. This is very significant Rodriguez’s high-profile corruption, how tors within a thriving school system. UTLA COMMUNICATIONS progress, and it is a direct result of our dare the district refuse to negotiate basic The state of California and LAUSD have EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alex Caputo-Pearl organizing and escalation: our September charter school regulation that is needed chosen starvation and privatization for our COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Anna Bakalis 26 Big Red Tuesday, October 11 Picket for to save the civic institution of public COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS: schools over appropriately funding them. Kim Turner, Carolina Barreiro, Tammy Lyn Gann Power, more than 800 chapter chairs in education. The state has done this by allowing per- ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Laura Aldana place across the city (more than we’ve How dare LAUSD disrespect its educa- pupil funding to be 46th out of 50 states. ever had), hundreds of Contract Action tors in our classrooms and schools, the LAUSD and its corporate charter major- EDITORIAL INFORMATION Teams in place at schools, our strong people who spend every day working with ity have done this through its history of UNITED TEACHER collaborative work with the seven other our youth. We see this disrespect through: approving charters and declining to fight 3303 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Fl., LA, CA 90010 Email: [email protected] employee unions, and our unprecedented • LAUSD’s flat-out rejection of our pro- for the survival of the district. UTLA main line: 213-487-5560 building of the Reclaim Our Schools LA posal to increase administrator account- We have to fight for victories for our ADVERTISING coalition, including more than 15 parent, ability in providing support for teachers in schools right now, while we also, crucially, Senders Communications Group Brian Bullen: 818-884-8966, ext.