A last-minute agreement between the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its three unions in the early hours of April 14 avoided a planned strike, leaving students and staff adjusting to the news of the school remaining open.
The agreement includes a 24% wage increase over three years, including 12% in retroactive pay, protection against subcontracting, and a guarantee of no layoff of IT workers.
Educators said the agreement reflects the purpose of contract negotiations in public education. UTLA Vice Chair Miss Mathis-Arslan explained that teacher contracts are typically renewed every two to three years and determine salaries, class sizes, and schooling staffing.
She also added that better pay reduces the need for teachers to take second jobs, allowing them to focus more on instruction. “Students benefit from teachers getting paid well because you can focus on teaching instead of worrying about a second job,” Ms. Arslan explains that competitive salaries help recruit and retain teachers. “Introducing a salary that is competitive is going to recruit new teachers to LAUSD.”
LAUSD educator Mr. Nolasco also said contract negotiations are a routine part of public education. “The purpose of these contracts is to negotiate a new deal every couple years,” he said. Mr. Nolasco said the agreement could improve education quality by helping attract younger teachers into the profession: “When you introduce a competitive salary, it brings younger teachers into LAUSD.”
For students, however, the timing of the agreement created confusion.
“I found out about the agreements throughout Tuesday, April 14,” said 11th grader Matthew Corona. “I only knew about two out of the three agreements until this morning when my mom woke me up telling me there was school,” he also said. “I stayed up until like 11:30 thinking there wasn’t going to be any school,” he said.
Sophomore Sherlyn Tiney also learned about the agreement early in the morning. “I got a text message saying there’s school and that the agreement happened around 3 in the morning,” she said. She also understands part of the agreement involves wage increases and job stability. “I know it’s lasting two years.”
With all the confusion from the students, many students still attend school.
Linda Hernandez, 12th grader, said she chose to stay home. “If I stayed home, I wasn’t going to do anything,” she said. “It’s better to come to school and learn.”
Staff members also expressed cautious optimism, saying the agreement could improve wages, hours, and job protections.
As campuses return to normal schedules, the agreement marks a major moment for LAUSD workers while students adjust to how quickly district decisions affect their daily lives.
