This just in from UTLA:
JUST IN: Moments ago, Supt. Austin Beutner held a press conference and attempted to minimize the impact of our strike – he told the media that only 3,500 teachers participated.
THE TRUTH: As of now, and with 90% of UTLA chapters reporting, more than 27,000 UTLA members rallied, picketed, chanted, in the first morning of UTLA’s historic strike to take back public education in LA.
With initial estimates, our march from City Hall to Beaudry is well over 60,000 people. Stay tuned for more.
CLICK BELOW AND FOLLOW UTLA
[id:image002.png@01D45031.2C1F37D0] [id:image003.png@01D45031.2C1F37D0] [id:image004.png@01D45031.2C1F37D0]
—
Anna Bakalis
UTLA Communications Director
(213) 305-9654 (c)
(213) 368-6247 (o)
Abakalis@UTLA.net
http://www.UTLA.net
http://www.WeArePublicSchools.org
[signature_2127940312]
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Let us hope for the best in this March. I have been teaching about Bloody Sunday, Russia, 1905, today.
LikeLike
It takes courage to do what these teachers are doing. I wish all teachers had this strength. The people who want to destroy public schools are coming up against a formidable force. When is Indiana or Idaho going to strike?
Video: California teachers strike
WSAV3
Published on Jan 14, 2019
LikeLike
Que viva la lucha y que triunfen.
LikeLike
Duane E Swacker: Apa? Saya ta faham. [Bahasa Melayu]
I took Spanish lessons for three weeks in Guatemala in 1997 and have forgotten almost all of it. Bahasa Melayu is Malay language. I studied it for three months in Hawaii. I’m lucky I can remember English.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It occurred to me on my walk today that the students sentenced to have classes with unqualified substitute teachers are probably getting a lot of time watch videos. We should put together a list of films for them so that they still learn important lessons. Below are some of my suggestions in no particular order. Anyone else have some good ones?
The Ox-bow Incident
Fury (1936 Fritz Lang, starring Spencer Tracy)
On the Waterfront
Paths of Glory
Duck Soup
The Great Dictator
I Am A Teacher (Russian)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Milk
12 Years A Slave
The Mission
Viva Zapata!
High Noon
Henry V (either Olivier or Branagh version)
The Grapes of Wrath
Stalag 17
Dersu Uzala
Bananas
LikeLike
NBC reported that barely 25% of students attended today.
LikeLike
High schools were certainly lower than 25%, but elementary schools were probably somewhere between the 40-50% range…but only from what I saw. So, perhaps 25% is accurate.
We have a long way to go. Picketing at two separate locations today, I’d say that there is a lot of animosity towards unions amongst certain segments of LA society. I counted 32 cars, trucks and SUVs that veered over to attempt to spray us with puddle water…23 of them were SUVs.
LikeLike
Steve M: “I counted 32 cars, trucks and SUVs that veered over to attempt to spray us with puddle water…23 of them were SUVs.”
I’m SO SORRY that you are having to endure this abuse. I totally support you even though I’m retired…sitting inside my warm condo in NW Indiana.
LikeLike
Just read this on USA Today:
“The district said principals on Monday reported 141,631 students attended 1,240 schools, including 216 independent charters that are not being affected by the strike. The charter schools’ combined enrollment is 117,331, according to the district, meaning that the charters likely accounted for much of Monday’s attendance.”
That’s crazy…can’t be correct.
LikeLike
See “Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary” released by MGM in 1941. It is a love letter to public schools. A great film.
LikeLike
Kids don’t need anodyne pablum based on nostalgia. They need to be confronted with serious questions that they will confront for the rest of their lives. Plus some good comedy to take the edge off. A better Mickey Rooney film would be It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World or Bill.
LikeLike
Excellent!
LikeLike
What is the AFT-supported corporatist Democrat, Rep Susan Davis of California, doing to support the strike?
What is the “liberal” Gates-funded Center for American Progress, led by Neera Tanden doing to support the strike?
LikeLike
Rhetorically, is the AFT’s relationship (Randi) with CAP, a one-way street?
LikeLike
Has California, Democratic Representative, Mark Takano, a former teacher announced his support for the strike? He’s a member of the U.S. House Education,…Committee.
LikeLike
The march today was inspiring, rain and all. Big shout to the teachers and families in the tunnel! Brought me to tears. Finally, we are standing up to the charter billionaires. Finally! There seemed to me to be many more of us out there today than the 50,000 last week. Our school had 100% participation from teachers and enough parents and children picketing to equal the number of teachers. I am so proud. Tomorrow we protest in front of the CCSA. Wouldn’t miss it for all the dry socks in the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If it weren’t for Diane Ravitch, I would not understand the historical significance of today. Thank you, Diane.
LikeLike
Wool, unlike cotton, keeps you warm even when it’s wet.
LikeLike
ABC News did a credible job of reporting how massive the support for the strike was.
LikeLike
Yes, it was amazing to be a part of it. Wish I had those wool socks though. Great turnout at my school, too. Matt Hill (former Deasy assistant who is now the Supt. of Glendale Schools) “loaned” his subs to scab. What a jerk. In my area, attendance was so low that they are closing 2 elementary schools and moving the kids into my middle school and the nearby high school. LOL. What could possibly go wrong there?
LikeLike
it was truly inspiring
LikeLike
NBC reported today that Calf. ranks 41st in per pupil spending and class sizes have reached 42 students. LA Unified has almost $2 bil. in reserves. Beutner has made the Koch’s proud by starving the public sector that serves the middle class and poor who actually contribute to GDP, unlike those in his line of work- the financial sector that drags down GDP by an estimated 2%.
Beutner spreads the evil of Charles and David Koch.
LikeLike
I saw an interview with Beutner. He appeared detached, as though he has ice water in his veins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neither of David Brock’s media- Share Blue nor Media Matters reported on the teachers’ strike today. Paint me surprised. A couple of years ago when Media Matters reported about the “right wing attack” on public schools, Media Matters omitted naming Gates, the Waltons, and Eli Broad.
LikeLike
Retired teachers in CA–please DO NOT substitute teach in L.A. Thank you.
LikeLike
Solidarity!
LikeLike
One can tell how ed reform has fallen in popularity by how many national Democrats are supporting the teachers.
The only people bashing the teachers are the former Obama people 🙂
We may actually get a President who supports public education next time, which will be the first in TWENTY YEARS.
A 20 year drought in political support for public schools and the creation of a lock-step echo chamber of charter and voucher cheerleaders. That’s the ed reform “achievement”.
I think the spell is broken though. With the exception of Corey Booker, there isn’t a privatizer among the prospective presidential candidates.
The 20 year long Bush Era of bashing public schools and promoting charters and vouchers may finally, finally be over in 2020. Who knows? Supporting public schools may even become fashionable in DC again.
LikeLike
I heard that Jonathan Chait (whose wife works for a charter) wrote an article attacking UTLA and got battered on Twitter. Jon Alter is another charter zealot. Won’t hear from him.
Tough to be a liberal and support charters and oppose unions and teachers.
LikeLike
Chait, Leonhardt, Neera Tanden, Podesta, Corey Booker, Jared Polis, Cuomo, Gina Raimondo, Susan Davis and Hakeem Jeffries would look more natural in GOP suits.
LikeLike
Vice News gave the first ten minutes of their news to the UTLA teachers strike. They did interviews with teachers and nurses. They had the best most comprehensive report on the issues.
LikeLiked by 1 person
retired teacher: I really like the complete coverage that Vice gives to topics. I wish they’d be available to more than HBO subscribers. I only get Vice when AT&T-Uverse gives freebees. Doesn’t happen often enough.
LikeLike
Vice’s on-air personalities may be backing N.O. Mayor Matt Landrieu in a presidential bid. He is a candidate for the pseudo Dems. at Third Way. His claim to fame, toppling confederate statues, may have been expediency, resembling a page from other hedge fund-favored candidates Corey Booker and Hakeem Jeffries.
Fortunately, the NAACP, SPLC and BLM have wizened up with the rest of us and understand we should expect politicians to distance themselves from libertarian and neoliberal ideologues.
LikeLike
VICE has excellent documentaries.
LikeLike
Citibank has put out the following message. I have no idea what they are offering.
……
citi logo
We’re here to help.
We understand you may be facing unexpected challenges and want you to know we’re here to help. Citi has a range of assistance measures available to customers experiencing financial hardship.
Contact us to find out about the assistance that may be available to you. Simply call us at the number below, and remember you can always find our contact information on the back of your card, on your statement or in the Citi Mobile App:
Citi Cards: 1-800-950-5114 (TTY/TDD: 1-800-325-2865)
Citibank: 1-888-248-4226 (TTY/TDD: 1-800-945-0258)
CitiMortgage: 1-800-283-7918 (TTY/TDD: United States: 711, Puerto Rico: 1-866-280-2050) (Mon–FriMonday to Friday 8 am – to 10 pm; Sat 8 am – to 6 pm All ET)
We realize you may have other things on your mind right now, but if you need our assistance, we are here for you.
LikeLike
Sharing Oakland Unified looks to higher teacher pay to improve student learning as teachers threaten to strike
JANUARY 13, 2019
The increasing likelihood of a teacher walk out in Oakland comes against the backdrop of the first teacher strike in 30 years in Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest district. As in Oakland, Los Angeles teacher demands include, among others, salary increases and smaller class sizes…
Oakland loses about 300 teachers annually, many to neighboring districts with higher salaries. Its teacher retention rate dropped from 82 percent in 2011-12 to 80 percent in 2015-16, district data show, which is about 7 percentage points lower than statewide averages.
While teacher turnover has long been a problem for Oakland, it has become acute this year because the district must make millions of dollars in cuts to avoid a deficit budget, which could include closing as many as 24 schools over the next five years. At the same time, the district is locked in tense contract negotiations with its teachers, who have been working without a contract since July 1, 2017 and are demanding a salary hike. Teachers have become increasingly vocal this year with protests around schools and in downtown Oakland. A strike could occur later this month…
https://edsource.org/?p=606381
LikeLike
I will post info later.
The plutocrats plan to assemble for their annual conclave in Oakland in early May (the NewSchools Venture Fund)
LikeLike
Indiana is taking money from pensions to pay for teachers’ slight salary increases plus having a 2% education funding boost. Indiana would have 100% funded status if only $150 million is contributed? I doubt that any of this will mean much increase in salaries. Notice that a businessman has been chosen to work out future salary increases.
The goal of Indiana schools is supposed to be a workforce? How about creative, life-long learning or understanding civics and history and what is necessary to have voters with enough knowledge who will vote in their own best interests?
I am in favor of expanded job training programs for the incarcerated.
I welcome comments. I’m very cautious in saying good things are happening. Statistically teachers in Indiana make less now than they did in 1999. There is always a lot of congratulatory blather without much action.
……………………
[NWI Times] Teacher pay, quality workforce are centerpieces of Gov. Holcomb’s State of the State address
The biggest surprise in Holcomb’s nearly 30-minute speech was his plan to free up funds at Indiana school corporations by reducing what districts pay in pension contributions for most teachers to 5.5 percent of salary, instead of the current 7.5 percent.
Holcomb said the state is prepared to allocate $150 million from its projected $2.2 billion budget reserve to the teacher pension account, which would bring it to 100 percent-funded status and permit the mandatory contribution rate to be reduced.
The governor said school districts should use the savings to increase teacher paychecks, along with the money they’ll receive from the 2 percent elementary and high school education funding boost in each year of his proposed two-year state budget.
“A strong economy depends on a world-class workforce. That workforce depends on a great education. A great education depends on great teachers,” Holcomb said.
“One way to attract and retain more of those teachers is to make teacher pay more competitive.”
Holcomb said he’s establishing the Next Level Teacher Pay Commission, led by Indianapolis businessman Michael L. Smith, to devise a sustainable, long-term plan for lawmakers to consider enacting in 2021 that would make Indiana teacher pay more competitive with neighboring states…
“Last year, I said that developing a 21st century workforce is the defining issue of the decade. Nothing has changed my opinion or my focus on building a Hoosier workforce that can outcompete anyone, anywhere, any day.”…
The governor explained that if all these programs work as they should, Indiana will have an improved quality of life and be in a better position to attract soaring businesses,…
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/teacher-pay-quality-workforce-are-centerpieces-of-gov-holcomb-s/article_40342291-e2c6-5f9d-8c61-95b8a5c9be49.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
LikeLike