Friday, June 08, 2012

TEACHERS UNION AND L.A. SCHOOL DISTRICT REACH PACT TO SAVE JOBS: Teachers take 10 unpaid furlough days, school year cut 5 days

-- Howard Blume, LA Times | LA Now | http://lat.ms/MUguGaDeasy

Photo: Supt. John Deasy. Credit: Bob Chamberlin, Los Angeles Times

June 8, 2012 |  6:35 pm  ::  The Los Angeles Unified School District and the teachers union reached a tentative agreement Friday that would prevent thousands of layoffs in exchange for one year of pay reductions.

Under the accord, teachers would lose 10 days of pay and students would lose five days of their school year. The pact mirrors agreements reached by other employee unions.

The agreement must still by ratified by teachers and approved by the L.A. Board of Education.

“We are grateful to our labor partners for making this sacrifice on behalf of our youth,” said L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy in a statement. “This agreement will enable many of our valued employees to remain in the classroom next year.”

The budget picture could be affected by the November election. That ballot will include two funding initiatives for public education. If approved, some of the funds may be used to restore the full academic year, which is typically 180 days.

More than 9,000 teachers had faced layoffs as of June 30, with the school year drawing to a close.

The teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, has estimated that even with an agreement, about 800 members still would lose jobs because of declining enrollment; others will be out of work because funding for some positions at schools has been lost or redirected.

Union officials were not immediately available for comment.

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