Educators at James Monroe High School, a designated Community School in the valley, are rallying to ensure their local decision-making authority is upheld and their hard-won Community School contractual rights are fully respected.

Per the UTLA-LAUSD contract, each school’s Local School Leadership Council (LSLC) — a voting body made up of educators, classified staff, families, and community members co-chaired by the UTLA Chapter Chair and principal — has authority to set 50% of the school’s professional development (PD) agenda.

At a Community School like Monroe High however, the LSLC has 100% purview over PDs (Article XXV-C, Section 4 of the UTLA-LAUSD 2022-2025 contract). The Community School model is an approach to reimagine public education by embracing shared power and leadership. Each designated Community School in LAUSD forms a representative LSLC that makes data-driven decisions to address local priorities to transform teaching and learning. 

Monroe’s LSLC exercised their authority by voting on the PD plan for the entire school year. However, the principal enforced a district-mandated PD session on August 20, effectively overriding the LSLC’s decision, violating the contract, and threatening the integrity of the Community School model.

Monroe’s Chapter Action Team (CAT) swiftly organized a “sticker-up” action, printing stickers with powerful messages such as “LAUSD is violating our Community School rights” and “this PD is a violation of our contract.” They mobilized a supermajority of members to wear the stickers to the August 20 PD — making it clear they were not willing to passively accept this infringement on their rights and Community School foundational values.

The organizing effort at Monroe is just beginning and this fight is not isolated. Similar violations of LSLC oversight and undermining of the Community School model are being reported at other sites. Educators are standing up, knowing that a contract is only as strong as the collective will to uphold it.

Monroe’s UTLA Chapter Chair Lourdes Quevedo emphasized in an organizing email the significance of their action: “Our Day of Action was a powerful demonstration of our unity and determination. We will not back down from defending the contractual rights that our Community School has won. This is just the start, and we are ready to ensure that the district respects the contract.”

The educators at Monroe are leading by example, showing that they are fully prepared to protect the rights they’ve fought hard to win, ensuring that their Community School’s autonomy is upheld.

If you are at a Community School and this is happening to you please email UTLA Lead Community Schools Organizer Esperanza Martinez at emartinez@utla.net.