Voices of the LAUSD teachers’ strike

UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl, left, kicks off the LAUSD teachers' strike at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles.

By Times Staff

Jan. 14, 2019 3:55 PM PT

They are tired of teaching in classes too big to give each student help. They want to know that if a child is hurt at school, a nurse will be on hand. They want fairness. They want to feel pride in their school system. They want it to be the state’s “powerhouse” district.

As they stood on picket lines across a district that stretches across 710 miles and communities rich and poor, striking teachers and parents who joined them in support spoke of what they want out of the first Los Angeles teachers’ strike in three decades.

“Students, especially adolescents, need individual attention for motivation every day in the classroom.”

— Laurie Hoffman, Carson High School

“What I hope for the strike is to get the smaller class sizes and the services that they need.”

— Natalie Neal-Peters, El Sereno Middle School

“This is for the future of our children, for better-funded schools, for fully staffed schools, and I believe in it, and that's why I'm here.”

— Alejandra Delgadillo, parent, Trinity Street Elementary

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“...A chance for our students to be properly funded and to be properly educated, so LAUSD can be a powerhouse education system.”

— Kirsten Farrell, Venice High School

“Austin Beutner, I challenge you to teach in a room with 45 to 50 kids and give them a...quiz afterwards to see what they learned with constant interruptions."

— Greg Schiller, Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts

LAUSD teachers strike to send a message: 'All we want is a fair shot' »

“I'm here supporting the strike because we — all of us teachers here — want to be treated fair.”

— Lynette Bickham-Tilley, Wilshire Crest Elementary

“We're hoping to get the city of Los Angeles to listen, to be behind us and support us for our kids.”

— Lorna Milman, Kennedy High School

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“I'm a teacher and a parent and my son's in a class with 38 kids, and it's crazy in there.”

— Patty Do, Justice Street Academy Charter School

“What I want most from the strike is more funding for special education.”

— Kouichi Ikeda, Elizabeth Learning Center

“What I want most for our schools is for our schools to be great for our students with more counselors, more nurses, more psychologists.”

— Cristobal Vicente-Aguilar, Venice High School