Today, as I was teaching my class, Angela Garcia, one of my former students (and who I would probably consider close to a daughter for me now), went on strike to support her fellow teachers.
She told me literally on Monday she went to school and they made all the students sit in the quad and work on homework. With no substitutes. And so, even though she technically “ditched” school I’m actually not against the fact that she went to support her teachers.
In the end, I do support the teachers strike because they are fighting for smaller class sizes, higher pay, and more resources on campus to help their students. One thing I would disagree with them on is the increased accountability of charter schools and proposed cap. I do feel like people have a misconception of charters – but they are ultimately all different, and you cannot judge the entire charter school movement based on perhaps a few badly managed schools. In the end, I wish the teachers good luck on getting most of what they want from LAUSD.
This is essential so students like Angela Garcia can get the proper education she needs to grow up and be successful. Good luck in life young grasshopper and we’ll continue to have important conversations as she progresses through high school.
