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LAUSD Shortens Winter Break, Makes Summer Longer. But Teachers Union Calls For A Pause
Thousands gathered outside LAUSD headquarters in downtown L.A. on March 21 in support of the SEIU99 and UTLA strike.
(
Ashley Balderrama
/
for LAist
)
Topline:
Earlier this week the Los Angeles Unified School District board approved new instructional calendars for the next three school years. They include changes in both summer and winter breaks. The district's teachers union has said the board violated state law by not getting union approval.
What's in the new calendar: The district will shorten winter break next year (2023-24) from three weeks to two-and-a-half weeks, and shorten it again the following years (2024-25 and 2025-26), to two weeks. That means school will be out by June.
Not so fast? The teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), released a statement Friday saying it wasn't given proper notice about the calendar change. UTLA says it has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the district. In UTLA’s statement addressed to Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, the union demands the district rescind the new calendars by next Tuesday.
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And the district says: "The development and approval of the instructional calendar is at the sole discretion of the superintendent and the board of education, and the board voted unanimously to adopt the 2023-26 instructional calendars," according to a spokesperson.
This feels familiar: Last spring, LAUSD approved four “acceleration days” to add to the current school year calendar — optional school days to help make up for learning time lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. The district maintained that it didn’t have to negotiate optional days with UTLA, but compromised after the teachers union threatened to boycott the first optional school day.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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