TEACHERS FOR CHANGE--BULLETIN
OCTOBER
Teachers for Change
Bulletin
By A. J. Duffy, Candidate for President of UTLA
My opponent is negotiating for a pay raise and that’s a good thing. However, any pay raise less than 7% is NOT A GOOD THING. In the past three years, the cost-of-living has risen 6.6%. If we are to stay ahead of the cost-of-living, a 7% raise is essential. Some might say that the state’s current fiscal situation will not allow for such a raise. On the contrary; it is not only possible, but also attainable.
LET’S LOOK AT THE FACTS:
• The reduction in mini-districts (from 11 to 8) did not result in a monetary gain for LAUSD. In fact, very few of the people who were displaced actually saved us money. There were many lateral moves with no lowering of salary. At the same time, the district added more high-priced administrators. Each mini-district went from two elementary directors to three and are about to add a fourth. Each mini-district also increased the number of middle and high school directors from one to two, and added a second operations person. It is rumored that some of the displaced mini-district administrators will be rehired as liaisons between the 8 mini-districts and the 4 special education districts.
• Class size is still up and UTLA does nothing about it.
• The district is also adding new coordinators for math, language arts, science, and social studies. It is also looking for people to fill the newly-created positions of coordinator for small learning communities.
• Teachers and students continue to be strangled by high-stakes testing and pacing plans which stifle the educational process in our schools and are required to take valuable classroom instructional time to teach test-taking skills.
There is enough money for a 7% raise and more. It can be found in the more than 200 million dollar end-of-the-year-surplus and especially the LAUSD bloat and bureaucracy. Why haven’t we attacked that bloat and bureaucracy vigorously both publicly and privately.
I recently attended an area meeting where one of the UTLA VP’s started off by talking about the hotel workers. Everyone listened respectfully, but clearly there was anger in the audience. Then a chapter chair spoke up and said, “I understand the need to support other unions, but I have 38 students in my class. Can we talk about class size first?”
That chapter chair’s question personified the lack of focus in our union. Our union’s task is to support the efforts of the teachers and health and human service workers. The fact that the area meeting would start off with an officer’s report about another union clearly shows that UTLA no longer considers our members first above all else.
A union that does not take care of its own members first is a bankrupt union.
As your president, I promise you that I will not put the needs of others above our teachers, health and human service workers, and students.
My name is A. J. Duffy. I am a candidate for President of UTLA.
For more information about the campaign to elect A. J. Duffy President of UTLA contact him at 310-915-0923.
Paid for by the family of A. J. Duffy. These statements do not reflect the views of UTLA.