It’s back to school in L.A! After two weeks, the Los Angeles teachers strike has finally reached an end after the Los Angeles Unified School District and the United Teachers Los Angeles reached a tentative agreement today following a marathon session of last-minute negotiations that went until early this morning. The agreement that could see teachers back in their classrooms as early as Wednesday was announced this morning by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at a City Hall press conference. Garcetti said it was a “historic agreement” that will see smaller class sizes and a “new day” in public education in the city. Details of the new contract were left out of the presser, but all parties promised more would be revealed “later.” The deal still needs to be formally approved by the United Teachers Los Angeles union. Related Story Bill Maher Gives Shout-Out To L.A. Teachers Strike With Union Boss In Audience The agreement between the LAUSD and the UTLA comes after the teachers began the first strike to hit LA schools in 30 years on January 14. After several wet days on the picket lines for the union’s 35,000 members, nearly 500,000 Los Angeles kids at home or at work with their parents, and more than $100 million in lost funding for the nation’s second-largest school district, the two sides went back to the bargaining table late last week. Since the City Hall-sponsored talks began, UTLA has been posting updates on its website and social media saying vague things like “We are making progress.” In remarks of his own, and as schools remained open but with few students in attendance, middleman Garcetti echoed the sentiment, saying that he was “optimistic” about “bringing our teachers and young people back into their classrooms.” After 21 hours of negotiating at City Hall, bargaining teams from LAUSD and UTLA concluded at 6:13 AM. Leadership will reconvene at 9:15 AM. — Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) January 22, 2019 After nearly two years of negotiations, talks between officials at the LAUSD and the teachers union officially hit the skids January 11 over differences on pay, the expansion of charter schools, class sizes and staffing levels. Out on the streets with large rallies and picket lines, UTLA members — which include school nurses and librarians as well as teachers — have been successful in holding public opinion in their favor and attracting the support of politicians, Hollywood parents and fellow unions including Los Angeles — as this tweet from this morning shows:<doc-sep>LOS ANGELES — A tentative deal announced Tuesday could end the six-day teachers' union strike in the nation's second-largest school district. Negotiators for the Los Angeles Unified School District reached an agreement with the United Teachers Los Angeles in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a 21-hour bargaining session. Teachers are scheduled to vote on the agreement Tuesday, so the earliest they would return to work would be Wednesday. The agreement includes a 6 percent raise for teachers, smaller class sizes and more nurses and counselors at schools, said Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of the union. The walkout created chaos in schools responsible for the education of nearly 500,000 students. Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat, joined the talks, which were held at City Hall. "This is a historic agreement," Garcetti said. "It's time for a new day in public education in Los Angeles." More strikes ahead? Teachers love their jobs but can't pay their bills, poll shows Besides its massive scope, the strike has been closely watched nationwide because it raised issues about public education. The L.A. walkout was the latest in a series of high-profile teacher work actions. But unlike labor uprisings in West Virginia and Kentucky, the L.A. strike came in a reliably Democratic area where voters usually support generous bond issues for causes like housing for the homeless and rebuilding public libraries. More strikes could be on the way. Denver teachers are voting today on whether to strike, and Oakland teachers are set to vote next week on their own strike. The agreement covered many of the teachers' demands. It reduces the size of some classes by one student in each of the first two years and two students in the third year. The district will hire 41 teacher-librarians this year in each of the first two years. The district will hire 150 nurses in each of two years in order to have one full time at all its schools. Teachers also won hope on limitations on charter schools, which have been sapping students — and money — from regular public schools. The agreement calls for the board of education to vote for a resolution calling on the state to establish a cap on charter schools. "This is much more than a labor agreement," said UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl. "It's a very broad compact that gets to social justice, educational justice." Teachers in America:No matter where they work, they feel disrespect More:'We're just fed up' Teachers running for office in record numbers It was unclear Tuesday morning how the district will pay for the agreement. Superintendent Austin Beutner repeatedly said better pay and more staff were worthy goals, but the district simply didn't have the money. The district has a savings account of about $2 billion, but Beutner said the money was committed to other needs and draining the reserves would bankrupt the district. During the strike, teachers braved days of rain as they picketed in front of their schools and rallied downtown. Their position: The district could certainly pony up the cash if pressed. Their anger was usually directed at Beutner. Principals, charged with keeping their schools up and running, praised their teachers and talked of how much they wanted them back in classrooms. Principals tried to make do with substitute teachers, administrators and volunteers, often unable to do more than try to keep kids occupied and contained in large spaces. On the strike's first day, many of the 900 schools where teachers walked out kept kids occupied by showing movies, not by holding class. Some principals were able to organize students into a handful of locations where they could participate in indoor sports and take part in rudimentary classroom drills or educational iPad games. None of the students appeared to be picking up studies where their teachers had left off. With the perception that little was being accomplished in classrooms, and reluctant to have their kids cross picket lines, many parents kept their children at home. Attendance ranged from about 15 percent, including students at charter schools where teachers weren't striking, to about 40 percent. More:What happens to the 62,500 students with special needs during L.A.'s teachers' strike? "We want the rest of our kids to come so we can continue instructing them because a day lost is a day of learning that's lost," said Rafael Escobar, principal at Marianna Avenue Elementary School after the first day of the walkout. Low attendance was costly to the district. After the first week of the walkout, the district said it had cost the district about $125 million from the state without taking into account savings from not having to pay striking teachers. Attendance was slightly higher in schools with students from lower-income families. But parents expressed frustration about their kids being in classrooms where little was being accomplished. "They don't have no teacher, no nothing," said Janet Madrigal as she brought son Diego to Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary in the Watts area on the second day of the strike. "They are just watching movies. They aren't learning anything." She said her son didn't want to come and believes he was trying to fake a tummy ache to get out of it. "He wants to be with his teacher," she explained. More:Even when teachers strike, Americans give them high grades, poll shows. Unions fare worse. Out on the sidewalks last week, teachers chanted slogans, held up signs, cheered when passing motorists honked their horns and warmly greeted students when their parents dropped them off or when they were leaving to go home. A few students joined them. "Teachers are the most important people in my life," said Lola Babich, 15, a sophomore at John Marshall High School in the Los Feliz areas. Contributing: Kristin Lam<doc-sep>“We have seen over the last week something amazing happened,” Mr. Caputo-Pearl said. “We took on the idea of bargaining for the common good. Public education desperately needs attention.” The strike drew attention to how California, one of the wealthiest and most liberal states in the country, spends relatively little on its public schools. As they announced the outlines of the deal, Mr. Garcetti, Mr. Beutner and Mr. Caputo-Pearl declined to give specific details on how the district would pay for the changes, but school officials said that they would need more money from local voters and the state. “We’re spending every nickel we have,” Mr. Beutner said. “It’s all in for schools. This is the start, not the end.” Many of the changes — including class-size caps and full-time nurses at every school — would be phased in over time, officials said. Because those changes would occur over the next three years, the deal essentially punted on the question of how the district would come up with the $403 million needed to pay for the additional staff members. District officials said Tuesday that they expect to propose a local parcel tax in 2020, which would require the approval of two-thirds of voters in the sprawling school district. Mr. Beutner also made it clear that he expected the attention to now turn to Sacramento for increased funding. The state’s chronically constrained school spending is largely attributed to its property tax laws, and especially to Proposition 13, a ballot initiative passed in 1978 that drastically limits tax rates and makes increases difficult to enact. Affluent, fast-growing suburban communities have suffered less under the law than large urban systems like the Los Angeles Unified School District, where declining enrollment and rising costs for pensions and health care have created budget problems year after year. While many educators and local leaders have called the strike a watershed moment for California public schools, it is far from clear whether there is a political willingness to change the statewide property tax laws. The union and district officials are both backing a ballot measure that would increase taxes on commercial, though not residential, properties in 2020. The strike settlement is also a significant achievement for the Mr. Garcetti, who has no formal authority over the school system. Though he publicly supported the teachers, he acted as a mediator of sorts and helped broker the deal during days of negotiations at City Hall. Before the strike, Mr. Garcetti had largely shied away from involvement with the public schools, but with the national spotlight on the strike and the mayor considering a presidential bid in 2020, he appeared eager to get involved during the past week.<doc-sep>EMBED >More News Videos Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, after a tentative agreement to end their weeklong strike was announced. 6 percent salary increase: 3 percent in 2017-18, 3 percent in 2018-19. 3 percent in 2017-18, 3 percent in 2018-19. Increase in nurse staffing: 150 in 2019-20, then 150 in 2020-21 and 316 in 2021-22. 150 in 2019-20, then 150 in 2020-21 and 316 in 2021-22. Increase in librarians in secondary schools: 39 in 2019-20 and 39 in 2020-21. 39 in 2019-20 and 39 in 2020-21. Increase in counselors: 17 in 2019-20 and 60 in 2021-22. 17 in 2019-20 and 60 in 2021-22. Reduce class size by four students: In grades 4-12, reduction by one in 2019-20, then one in 2020-21 and two in 2021-22. In grades 4-12, reduction by one in 2019-20, then one in 2020-21 and two in 2021-22. District increased spending on staffing and class-size reduction: $175 million in 2019-21 and $228 million in 2021-22. DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District and the teachers union reached an agreement to end the teachers strike, officials announced Tuesday.The teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, announced Tuesday night that members approved the deal and will be returning to classrooms Wednesday. "It's a historic day today in Los Angeles," said Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of UTLA. "We have preliminary numbers from the vote on our agreement. And they show that a vast supermajority are voting yes for the agreement that we made with LAUSD. Therefore, ending the strike and heading back to schools tomorrow. "He said early results show about 80-83 percent of members voting in favor of the deal. Votes were still being counted and final results would be announced Wednesday.Tuesday marked the sixth school day of the strike, which is the first work stoppage by LAUSD teachers in 30 years.The agreement was first announced Tuesday morning at a joint press conference held by Garcetti, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and Caputo-Pearl. "The strike that nobody wanted is now behind us," Beutner said.Garcetti said the then tentative agreement includes lower class sizes, community-based schools, improved support staff and a salary increase for teachers. Beutner said the agreement included a 6-percent salary increase for teachers and a "meaningful class-size reduction. "LAUSD later in the day released a statement detailing the agreement:Other details highlighted by UTLA include the LAUSD board voting on a resolution asking the state for a cap on charter schools; and the district designating 20 "community schools" by 2019 and another 10 by June 30, 2020. The schools will have additional funding and union positions.The teachers union had been fighting for higher wages and a commitment to lower class sizes.LAUSD and UTLA officials were involved in bargaining discussions late into the evening Monday.Following the joint announcement by Garcetti, Beutner and Caputo-Pearl, thousands of teachers - clad in their signature red attire - rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall. "We're very pleased right now because that's what we wanted - we wanted to go back to our classrooms," teacher Janet Curtade said. "We miss our students. We know that it's been hard for them, for their parents, but for us also. "Another teacher, Martha Garibay, said she and her colleagues "absolutely have faith in our union, that they're doing the right thing for our students. ""We're all here together," she added, "and we're fighting for our students. We're not fighting for ourselves - we're fighting for our students and what our students and public education deserve. "UTLA said earlier that even if a tentative agreement is reached, it cannot be immediately enacted until a vote was taken across the entire membership.Tuesday morning, hundreds of firefighters marched in solidarity with striking teachers in downtown Los Angeles. The firefighters marched alongside the UTLA's music teachers Red for Ed Marching Band. The large crowd was led by a vintage red fire engine.The large crowd began its march from Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and made its way toward Miguel Contreras High School.<doc-sep>
Teacher: 'I'm not being as effective as I could be' (CNN) — The six-day Los Angeles teachers’ strike ended Tuesday night after teachers and staff members threw their support behind a new agreement reached hours earlier, according to a preliminary vote tally. The vote by members of the United Teachers Los Angeles union enables teachers to return to work on Wednesday, ending a battle that left 600,000 students in limbo. Preliminary numbers from the vote show that “a vast super majority” voted yes, ending the strike, UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl told reporters late Tuesday. He said the counting of the ballots will continue on Wednesday. “It’s a historic day today in Los Angeles,” he said. “Our members after a strike that began on Monday, January 14, are going to be heading back to school, to the students that they love and the classrooms that they love and the schools that they love and are committed to,” he added. The new agreement with the district includes a 6% raise, a gradual decrease in class sizes over the next few years and more counselors, librarians and nurses. Union leaders and the Los Angeles Unified School District had struck a tentative deal around dawn Tuesday after a marathon 21-hour negotiating session, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “It is a historic agreement,” the mayor, who helped mediate the dueling sides, said before Tuesday’s vote. “It gets to lower class sizes. It gets to proper support staff.” . @LASchools today announced that it has reached an agreement with UTLA on a new contract that provides a 6% salary increase for educators, reduces class sizes, adds a significant number of librarians, counselors and nurses, and maintains the fiscal solvency of the school district pic.twitter.com/LKYM1QogMC — Los Angeles Unified (@LASchools) January 22, 2019 Caputo-Pearl praised the more than 30,000 teachers and staff members who picketed for six days, often under cold rain. “I’m so proud of our members, classroom teachers, counselors, nurses, librarians, psychologists,” Caputo-Pearl said earlier Tuesday. He made those remarks at a news conference standing next to Beutner – a symbolic sight, considering Beutner has been the target of intense UTLA criticism for months. While both sides gathered in harmony Tuesday, “the strike was painful, and it had a cost,” Garcetti said. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images Thousands of teachers marched in the rain demanding more school staffing and higher salaries. The first week of the strike cost the school district more than $125 million. That’s because the state of California funds schools based on daily attendance, and the number of students going to school plunged during the strike. Some parents said they purposefully kept their kids out of school in hopes that the money drain suffered by the district would lead to a resolution more quickly. Why so many teachers toughed it out For the past six school days, educators hit the picket lines to demand smaller class sizes, higher salaries and more school nurses and counselors. “We work with students every day who face trauma and face hardship,” Garfield High School teacher Erika Huerta said. “So we’re doing this as a life passion to improve our community.” Teachers and students who joined them on the picket lines decried class sizes of 45 or more. They said many students aren’t able to get the individual attention they need to effectively learn. So the standoff between UTLA and LAUSD came down to two issues: how much money to spend on more school staffing and teachers’ raises, and whether the school district actually has that kind of money. The union wanted the school district to pony up more money to meet its demands, but LAUSD said its $1.8 billion in reserves is already earmarked for education spending during this three-year budget cycle. The school district agreed that schools need smaller class sizes, more staffing and bigger raises for teachers. “The issue has always been how do we pay for it,” Beutner said. “We can’t solve 40 years of underinvestment in public education in just one week, in just one contract.” Firefighters and celebrities join the fight Scott Heins/Getty Images Firefighters marched Tuesday in support of Los Angeles teachers on strike. During their week-long strike, teachers received support from a barrage of actors, musicians and politicians. On Tuesday, they got a big boost from members of the International Association of Firefighters, who are in Los Angeles for a conference this week.