Los Angeles Times reports that at least 700 teachers called in sick today in the Los Angeles Unified School District, just days after a judge ordered the teachers union to call off a planned one-day strike. In solidarity, hundreds of l students walked out of classrooms to protest proposed teacher layoffs.
The teachers’ union, UTLA, had scheduled pre-school picketing across from L.A. Unified headquarters, and a post-school rally in place of the strike to spare teachers the risk of $1,000 fines, with the possible loss of their teaching credentials for violating the court order.
UTLA seeks to reverse the proposed layoff of 2,500 teachers, and 2,600 non-teachers aimed at reducing California’s $596.1 million deficit.
Yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed selling major public landmarks and buildings. Next, will he try to privatize education, sell off the buildings and make the public pay for formerly free education?