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Teachers at Little Lake City schools go on a strike
Unionized employees at the Little Lake City School District are on strike in the wake of an ongoing labor dispute. The district covers schools in Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk and Downey.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - While LAUSD was able to avoid a teachers' strike, the Little Lake City School District was not.
Teachers from seven elementary and two middle schools spread out in Norwalk, Downey, and Santa Fe Springs went on strike today.
Union officials say the dispute centers on class size, special education funding and health care. The district can no longer afford to fully fund health care, as they have for years. Teachers say they had to scramble at the beginning of the year to find affordable health insurance (which amounted to $1,400 a month for some programs).
One educator, who was receiving cancer treatments, explained that she cannot change her insurance in the middle of treatments and cannot afford the payments on her salary.
Loud rallies outside the school district offices included many parents, who say they are concerned about the possible increase in class sizes and effects on special education programs.
The schools remain open, with substitute teachers being paid $500 a day. District officials told parents on their website that they can afford to do that because the teachers out on strike will not get paid.
The Little Lake City School District issued the following statement in response to the workers' strike:
"The Little Lake City School District remains committed to continuing the programs and services that are making a meaningful difference for our students, while also recognizing and valuing the important contributions of our employees to student success. Our goal continues to be working collaboratively with our employees in a fiscally responsible manner to reach a resolution that supports both our staff and the long-term stability of the District.
The progress our students are making reflects the strength of our instructional program. Recent test scores show that Little Lake ranks #1 in English Language Arts and #2 in Math compared to surrounding districts—clear evidence that our focus on high-quality teaching and targeted supports are working.
To sustain and build on this success, the Board of Trustees has prioritized more than $8 million in investments that directly impact student learning. These include:
- Instructional assistants providing classroom support
- Intervention specialists delivering targeted academic assistance
- Expanded supports for students in special education
At the same time, the District must remain mindful of its fiscal responsibilities. The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) Fiscal Stabilization Plan requires us to carefully align our ongoing commitments with available resources. Like many districts, we are facing ongoing challenges, including rising costs and the need to ensure we can meet our financial obligations not just today, but in future years.
We remain committed to good-faith negotiations and are hopeful that continued dialogue will result in an agreement that supports our employees while preserving the strong academic programs our students depend on."