The United Teachers Los Angeles Out on Strike

EDUCATION There Were Some Rare Sightings in Los Angeles Yesterday First, it rained...and second, more than 30,000 unionized public school teachers went on strike (the first of its kind in 30 years). So what are the grievances? It's not all about higher pay. The United Teachers Los Angeles union is asking (well, more like demanding) the school system to invest more in support staff and do more to shrink class size, which is above 32 students on average for middle and high schools. How schools superintendent Austin Beutner responded: "If we agreed to UTLA's demands, the district would become immediately bankrupt and would be taken over by the state that same day...that's the fact," he said Saturday. Despite the strike, substitutes, volunteers, and Ned Schneebly have stepped in to keep schools in session. The NYT says that's an "unusual" move given that all teachers are expected to participate in the strike. FYI: LA is home to the second largest school district in the country, spanning 710 square miles and more than 600 K-12 schools. That's larger than many state systems, per the WaPo.