LA Teachers’ Union Demands 20 Percent Pay Raise, Reduced Class Size, Less Standardized Testing

An empty classroom is seen at Hollywood High School in Hollywood, Calif., on Aug. 13, 2020. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles teachers’ union is demanding a 20 percent pay raise over the next two years for LA Unified School District (LAUSD) teachers, citing stress from living costs and COVID-19 pandemic learning loss.

United Teachers of LA (UTLA)—which has 35,000 members—held three simultaneous rallies across the district Dec. 5.

At the rally, UTLA president Cecily Myart-Cruz said high costs of living and housing in LA are untenable.

“When you can’t even afford to live [where] you work, we’ve got a problem,” she said.

Striking teachers and supporters rally in Grand Park across from City Hall after the teacher's union reached a tentative deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2019 (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

In addition to increased wages, the union—which has been in negotiations with LAUSD since May—is requesting reduced class sizes and less standardized testing.

Union officials argued that standardized tests that are not state or federally mandated should be optional for teachers, saying such tests take up valuable instruction time.

Myart-Cruz said the nationwide teacher shortage, which has hit California particularly hard, means classroom sizes have expanded, creating an additional burden on teachers.

“This district has had seven whole months to address the educator shortage and to make sure that every student has a classroom teacher, every student has a school nurse, every student has a counselor and a librarian and mental health support,” Myart-Cruz said.

Over the next four years, the union is proposing reducing class size by five students for first grade and seven students for math and English classes for seventh graders and early high schoolers.

LAUSD data on current average classroom size was not immediately available.

Enrollment has dropped nearly 60,000 from pre-pandemic numbers—from 608,000 in the 2018–19 school year to 548,000 in the 2021–22 school year, according to the district.

In March, district officials predicted enrollment would begin to drop by about 4 percent each year over the next decade—reaching below 400,000 in just two years. The district previously saw an enrollment decline rate of about 2 percent in the past five years.

Officials said in a statement Dec. 5 that the district is continuing to meet with labor partners regularly.

“We respect and acknowledge the dedication of our employees and the need to compensate them fairly in this current economic environment,” LAUSD’s statement read. “We remain dedicated to avoiding protracted negotiations to keep the focus on our students and student achievement.”

A student on his way to school walks past a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2009. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Since he stepped in earlier this year, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has warned the district of economic hardship in the years to come due to a “perfect storm” of declining enrollment and declining funds – since state funding is largely based on enrollment numbers.

During a Dec. 6 board meeting, Carvalho said that while the LAUSD may have extra federal pandemic funds now, that will not always be the case. He said he was unwilling to authorize the 20 percent raise now only to lay teachers off in a few years when funds run low.

Currently, the base salary for a first-year teacher without credentials or with alternative certification is $48,916 per year, while a credentialed first-year teacher earns $56,100, according to the school district.

Teachers also earn more pay based on other skills, including those who hold advanced degrees.

A teacher with 10 years of experience can earn between $61,000 and $98,100 depending on credentials, the level of degree earned, and professional development courses completed, according to the district.

In January of 2019, more than 30,000 UTLA members held a six-day strike, demanding pay raises, smaller class sizes, better-staffed schools, and protesting charter schools.

That strike ended after the district and union reached an agreement that included a 6 percent pay raise for teachers, a reduction in class size by four students per class over three years, and a promise to provide a full-time nurse and librarian for every school.