LAUSD is facing an educator shortage crisis with close to 4,000 vacancies reported in December and 70% of educators reporting they are considering leaving the profession altogether. This agreement adds more student support positions and salary increases to fully staff our schools.

• Added staffing for student support – Social Workers, School Psychologists, Counselors, and more
• Competitive salaries to hire School Nurses, School Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Pathologists, Special Educators, Early Childhood Educators, Teachers, and more to fill vacant positions

LAUSD educators earn over 20% less than the average person holding a bachelor’s degree. With skyrocketing costs of living in Los Angeles, 2 in 3 LAUSD educators can’t afford to live where they teach and 28% are forced to work a second job. A significant salary increase and improvements to working conditions will attract new educators and allow educators to continue working in LAUSD.

• 21% increase over the next three years to keep pace with increased cost of living and to attract and keep educators in LAUSD schools
• Reduced workloads, additional prep time, and more support staff to alleviate educator burnout

Building on wins for enforceable class-size limits from our 2019 Strike, we won a class-size reduction in all grades at every school so students can get more individualized instruction and support.

Over the next three years, class size averages and maximums will be reduced by two students.

During our 2019 Strike, UTLA members demanded that LAUSD recognize and write Special Education into our contract as its own subject of bargaining for the first time. We built on that win by fighting for more enforcement and support in our contract for Special Education classes.

• Class size maximums for Special Education classes in the contract for the first time
• Additional Special Education support staffing
• Added time and compensation for Special Educators to complete mandated assessments

In our fight for a contract agreement, UTLA members held strong for our students needing the most support. 

• • Community Schools: added funding and staffing for Community Schools
  • Black Student Achievement Plan: codifying the Black Student Achievement Plan into the contract, and agreements for the district to fund resources, staffing, and professional development for BSAP schools
  • Immigrant Student Support: establish partnerships to provide legal and financial support for immigrant students and their families, plus steps for expanding services
• Support for Unhoused Students: joint work to identify unused LAUSD property to convert to housing, school-based supports, and advocate for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for unhoused students and their families, affordable housing, and tenant protections.

The agreement establishes a Climate Curriculum Implementation Task Force to plan actions to respond to the climate crisis with an equity and racial justice lens including:

• Increasing outdoor education space and green space
• Solar panel installation and additional electric buses through unionized contractors
• Expand no-cost public transportation for students
• Creating a Health and Nutrition Task Force
• Removal of lead-contaminated drinking water and added filtration systems in schools
• Explore stormwater collection on LAUSD property
• Establishing a Climate Champion at each school with a stipend for educators who take on the role
• Curriculum that incorporates climate literacy
• Creating pathways to green jobs for students