L.A. Teachers Participate in Protest to Prevent Layoffs
LOS ANGELES
Police arrested 39 people, including the president of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), May 15 during a sit-in outside the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) headquarters, reports the Los Angeles Times. The sit-in was one of many peaceful protests by teachers and students who are against possible teacher layoffs. As many as 2,500 faculty could lose their jobs at the country’s second-largest school district.
Originally, teachers planned a one-day strike; however, after receiving word that as many as 2,300 teachers in the district would participate in the strike, district officials sought a restraining order to prevent the acts of protest.
In response, more than 700 teachers called in sick May 15, according to the news source. The school district reported that it had more than 3,000 requests for substitute teachers. UTLA officials said they planned to pay for the substitutes to allow teachers to leave class and participate in acts of civil disobedience.
Students throughout the district staged their own walk-outs and sit-ins. Parents also joined in the protests. The Los Angeles Times reports that students were supportive of their teachers, but were also concerned with the future of their education. In the event of teacher layoffs, there could be as many as 45 students in one classroom at a time.
UTLA President A.J. Duffy and 38 other protesters were arrested for blocking a public street when protesting at district headquarters. All those arrested were later released.
Supt. Ramon Cortines said teachers had not violated the restraining order because those who participated were either on break between semesters at year-round schools or had arranged substitute teachers. Additionally, Cortines said that he spoke with Duffy and a top aide the day before the protests to discuss a potential compromise. In this compromise, the district would spend more of its federal stimulus money than planned this year, which would prevent the need for layoffs. On the union’s end, it would have to agree to wage freezes or unpaid furloughs.
Per the Times, Duffy had no comment on the negotiations.
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