The author is a middle-school teacher and member of United Teachers Los Angeles.
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Tens of thousands of Los Angeles public school teachers refused to work the first hour of instruction on June 6 to protest the deep cuts to education proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Picket lines formed outside 900 L.A. public schools, and teachers chanted slogans like “Cuts hurt kids” and “Stop the budget cuts!”
Over 40,000 members of the local teachers’ union, United Teachers Los Angeles, took part in the protest despite Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David Brewer’s attempts to scare teachers into inaction. Brewer sent automated phone calls to vulnerable probationary teachers who lack tenure, warning them not to take part in the protest. State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O’Connell fully backed Brewer. Still, the vast majority of union members participated. Parents were invited to demonstrate alongside the teachers, and many hundreds did.
Students were encouraged to attend school regardless of the demonstrations. LAUSD officials attempted to manipulate public opinion by playing to fears of safety problems at schools due to the protests. Brewer maintained that students would be in danger because of the lack of adult supervision at the beginning of the school day.
But Arturo Esguerra, a parent at L.A.’s Birmingham High School, dismissed the propaganda. He told PSLweb: “The district is planning to get rid of jobs, including crossing guards—so, who poses the real threat to public safety? No jobs should be cut. In fact, more should be added. We need more teachers and education workers, not an ever-shrinking budget for our schools.”
Teachers will lose one hour of pay for protesting.
LAUSD attempted but failed to secure a temporary restraining order against the job action the day before the protests. The Employment Relations Board also declined to file an injunction on behalf of the district.
If passed, the state budget cuts will reduce funding to L.A. public schools by $340 million. Schwarzenegger will shortchange LAUSD hundreds of millions of dollars by refusing to provide district employees with a cost-of-living increase. And LAUSD officials announced that 6,500 probationary teachers could be laid off. The L.A. Board of Education has already announced layoffs for over 500 staff and clerical workers and will require all employees to take a four-day unpaid leave. (Los Angeles Times, June 11)
Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to education are part of the overall strategy of class warfare adopted by the governor. The poor continue to pay a higher percentage of income in taxes than California’s richest 1 percent. The richest 1 percent of Californians earn more than the combined income of 60 percent of the state’s population. Meanwhile, health care programs, assistance programs for seniors, support services for disabled citizens and welfare programs will all be drastically cut. California State University and the University of California are also slated for budget cuts.
Schwarzenegger wants to pay off budget deficits on the backs of workers while refusing to increase taxes on the wealthy. It is children from working-class families, the poor and the elderly who pay the price.
UTLA has vowed to continue the fight against the reactionary, anti-worker budget proposal. No school budget cuts! No more teacher layoffs!
