On February 21, the 140-member UTLA Bargaining Team met for the second session with the district to present proposals to fix LAUSD’s incomprehensible salary schedule and raise pay to address the educator staffing shortage.  

The salary schedule proposal would ensure competitive starting pay to recruit educators, make steps between years of service and salary points more consistent and fair, and maximize earnings by advancing members to the highest rates more quickly. The proposal would result in an average pay increase of 21 percent over two years (18 percent in year one). 

Members Emily Reyes (testimony published below) and Christy Moore spoke about how the current salary point system has affected them as educators who are the primary caretakers in their household, along with their families.

The team also made proposals on class size and staffing, including targeted class size reduction in 11th and 12th grades, reductions in non-academic classes, and a new accountability system, in which employees impacted by class size or staffing violations must be paid $100 a day for each day of the violation. 

We also presented proposals on increases in Counselors, PSAs, PSWs, School Psychologists and more; increases in prep time for both secondary and elementary; parental leave; Special Education and support for inclusion; Community Schools; housing (including washing machines and showers at schools and increased commitments from LAUSD to build affordable housing), Arts, PE in elementary schools, and increased access for substitutes to healthcare (91-day threshold) 

Earlier this week, the UTLA Bargaining Team made proposals to increase supports for LGBTQIA+ students and staff as well as immigrant students and families, as well as proposals on many other issues. 

“I am honestly blown away by the two opening days of bargaining. The beginning of this year has been so tough with the fires and the attacks on immigrant and LGBTQIA+ families and on public education. It was genuinely hopeful to present to the district a vision of more just and inclusive schools, of fully funded and fully staffed schools, schools where students are centered and their needs are met, schools where educators and staff are supported in their important work. As an SLP, I’m especially excited about the proposals to fix many of the problems in special education. I hope we fight like crazy to win this vision because our students deserve it, our community deserves and UTLA members deserve it!”

— Kyoko Bristow, Speech-Language Pathologist, First Year Bargaining Team Member