Working to Find a Solution to Avert a Strike, Los Angeles Unified Makes New Offer to UTLA (01-11-19)

Today, Los Angeles Unified presented United Teachers Los Angeles with new offer to provide more support for students and teachers, and to avert a strike. The offer would add nearly 1,200 more educators – teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians – in schools, reducing class size in thousands of classrooms.

“Our commitment to our families is to make sure all of the money we have is being spent in schools. We are doing that,” said Superintendent Austin Beutner. “We want to avoid a strike, which will hurt the students and families we serve. We hope UTLA leadership will reconsider its demands, which it knows Los Angeles Unified cannot meet.”

Los Angeles Unified is counting on the increase in funding for education proposed by Governor Newsom in his state budget on January 10, 2019. Both the Governor’s budget proposal and Los Angeles Unified’s new offer is a testament to the shared commitment to public education.

Los Angeles County is also proposing to provide additional funding to increase mental health and nursing services in elementary schools across Los Angeles Unified.

Los Angeles Unified’s new offer builds on the offer the District made on Monday, January 7, and consists of the following:

$130 million to add almost 1,200 more educators in schools

• Significantly reduce class size and ensure no increase in any class size
  • Reduce class size by two students in all middle schools
  • Reduce class size by two students in all high schools
  • Cap class size in Grades 4-6, not to exceed 35 students
  • Reduce all middle and high school math and English language classes to 39 or fewer students
  • Cap class size at 32 students at 75 of the highest-need elementary schools
  • Cap class size at 34 at 15 of the highest-need middle schools

• Increase Nurses, Counselors and Librarians at all schools
  • Provide nursing services each school day at every elementary school
  • Add one additional academic counselor at each comprehensive high school
  • Provide library services at every middle school

6% Salary Increase

• A 6% raise with no contingencies
• No additional work requirements or professional development to receive the raise
• Back pay for the 2017-2018 school year
• No changes to health benefits for current employees

Los Angeles Unified will do everything it can to avert a strike. Ultimately, only UTLA can call a strike. UTLA’s contract demands have remained essentially unchanged since April 2017, and those demands would bankrupt Los Angeles Unified.

Every independent expert who has reviewed Los Angeles Unified’s finances agrees the District has serious budget issues. On Wednesday, January 9, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the state regulator that oversees Los Angeles Unified, appointed a team of financial experts to work with the District on its financial issues. The County expressed “great alarm and concern with the rapid deterioration of the District’s (financial position).”

All experts have confirmed: Los Angeles Unified simply does not have enough money to meet all of UTLA’s demands.

“We remain committed to working to avoid a strike which will harm the students and families we serve,” said Board President Mónica García. “Our latest offer is the best we can do and includes the additional funding from the State and County. It’s time to resolve this.”

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Click here for the news release