Report Recommends Educators Sell Students Out for Salary 

In early March, as part of the state-required fact-finding process in contract bargaining, UTLA made a detailed presentation that pinpoints where LAUSD can source the funds to pay for our contact demands. Today, the fact-finder issued his recommendations for settling the contract. Fact-finder reports are notoriously unhelpful in settling contracts, but this report goes beyond that — it ignores the facts presented, throws out progress already made at the bargaining table, and asks educators to sell out student needs for a salary increase. 

It is shocking that LAUSD would concur with the fact-finder’s recommendation to: 

• Completely drop virtually all proposals—including hiring more PSAs, PSWs, and school psychologists and adding more support for Special Education
• Keep the broken salary table with nonsensical step increases and the equivalent of two master’s degrees needed to advance past year ten

The fact-finder is recommending we sell out our students in exchange for a 3% bonus for this school year (NOT an ongoing salary increase), an across-the-board 8% raise in July, and a 3% raise in January 2028. 

We will not sell our students out for salary. 

“The fact-finder’s recommendation that we drop all our demands in exchange for a raise essentially asks us to ignore our most vulnerable students and compromise the support they need. Framing this as a trade-off for compensation is not only disrespectful — it is unconscionable. Our students, families, and school psychologists deserve better.” —Sarah Kim, School Psychologist and UTLA Bargaining Team member 

“It’s outrageous that the district would accept keeping Special Education at status quo. It’s clear they haven’t been listening to us at the bargaining table the last 14 months. The district needs to show some respect for Special Education teachers and the amount of extra work we do. We can’t keep going on as is. Our students can’t wait any longer. I am ready to go on strike to fight for the resources my students need and the respect we deserve.” —Gary Maynard, Edison Middle School Special Education teacher and UTLA Bargaining Team member 

This recommendation lets the district off the hook to spend the bare minimum on educator salaries and keep spending more money on private outside contracts. 

“The UTLA research team broke down LAUSD’s spending and budget to show in fact-finding exactly where the money is to address our salary and staffing needs. LAUSD can afford our proposals. We are advocating for the district to prioritize people and not private companies and ed tech.” —Hannah Day, Elysian Heights Elementary School fifth-grade teacher and UTLA Bargaining Team member 

The 150-member UTLA Bargaining Team voted to reject the fact-finder’s recommendation. Read the full letter of dissent from the UTLA Panelist below. 

Every educator strike in California this year has won more than the fact-finder’s recommendation. We will win the way we have in 2019 and 2023 — through our collective action. If LAUSD refuses to settle a fair contract, we will strike April 14.