Unions representing LAUSD teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians and special education assistants are threatening to throw a tantrum and not show up to work if they don’t get what they want.

Based on the abysmal education provided to LAUSD students, if the teachers went on strike, would anyone notice?

In the 2018-19 school year, just 44% of LAUSD students met the state’s English Language Arts standards. Just 33.47% met the state’s standards on mathematics. And remember, these are just the baseline proficiency standards.

As you can imagine, the results were even worse for Black and Latino students subjected to the mediocrity that is the Los Angeles Unified School District. Just 32% of Black students met the state’s English Language Arts standards and just 20% met the state’s mathematics standards. Just 38% of Latino students met the state’s English Language Arts standards and just 27.47% met the state’s mathematics standards.

For these kinds of pathetic, disgraceful results, the unions want across-the-board massive pay raises.

“SEIU Local 99 is asking for a 30% across-the-board raise and UTLA is asking for a 20% raise across the next two school years,” reports this newspaper.

The district has reportedly offered the SEIU workers a 15% raise and a 9% retention bonus, but they are threatening to disrupt service to students because they want even more.

The UTLA, which has thuggishly worked to crush opportunities for Black and Latino students to escape the mediocrity of UTLA-run schools and go to charter schools, is working with the SEIU in hopes of strong-arming LAUSD for more money.

LAUSD teachers and employees should show integrity, go to work like responsible adults and stop threatening LAUSD’s kids. If the unions don’t speak for them, they should stop paying dues to the unions.

The UTLA, specifically, has done enough to hurt kids in the district. If UTLA continues to pull these stunts, and prevails, LAUSD parents should continue to vote with their feet and pull their kids from LAUSD schools in search of better opportunities elsewhere.

Enough.

– Sal Rodriguez

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