On Saturday, after the International Service Workers Union (SEIU) and the Los Angeles Teachers Union (UTLA) announced a possible strike, both Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) employee unions, my cell phone exploded. Hispanic immigrant parents are members of Our Voice – Nuestra Voz, who collectively advocate for quality education.
The parents expressed their feelings, which ranged from distrust, despair, disappointment, anger and helplessness to regret. So many texts rained down on me that I decided to offer them a place through the Zoom online app so they could speak.
From South Los Angeles, Lourdes, an Indian mother of two primary-age children receiving special education assistance, expressed her despair and great frustration at not knowing how she would help her children while schools remain closed due to – for strikes. and about.
In just a few minutes, ten mothers joined the online conversation and tearfully spoke about the impact of the strike on their lives.
From South Los Angeles, Lourdes, an Indian mother of two primary-age children receiving special education assistance, expressed her despair and great frustration at not knowing how she would help her children while schools remain closed due to – for strikes. She said that although the district will send packages to homeschool the children, she does not feel able to help them because she only understands and speaks Spanish and her mother tongue is an indigenous language. So I couldn’t help them much with their homework.
On the other hand, Maria, whose youngest son goes to a school for the deaf in the south of the city, also did not know how she would support her son.
These are just two examples of the countless Hispanic immigrant families who will be affected and who have been at the center of politics between union and district leaders over the past three years, with no vote or voting rights.
That day, all the parents were disbelieving when they learned that both the unions and the district had reached such an agreement. Some shared small gains that their children were just starting to show but that will now be lost with school closures. One mother spoke of the impact on high school students studying for exams and graduations. Other parents have expressed concern about the stress and economic consequences that will affect the mental health of their children and the entire family, which is fundamental.
They were also outraged by comments they heard from others that “the strike will last no more than three days,” as if it didn’t matter when many of them live on the brink of poverty and have to work to survive.
They recalled that just three years ago, the vast majority joined the teachers’ union strike in the hope that their children would have more resources, better services, and smaller classes for a more personalized education. At least in this land of opportunity, public education should be quality and consistent for your children. The issues were dropped when the county and UTLA reached an agreement, they said.
Then the pandemic hit and they felt ignored by both the teachers’ union and then-superintendent Austin Boitner for not getting enough academic support for their children, especially English learners and special education students. Now, with a spate of drug-trafficking problems on school campuses, security, and the need to continue academic recovery, they must face yet another academic hurdle. For many parents, this is already unacceptable or unacceptable.
While parents say they support workers, especially low-income workers, by receiving a living wage, they all agree that a strike that closes schools and affects 440,000 mostly low-income and Hispanic students is not a solution, which is why they ask what this practice should be stopped.
Our parents’ appeal “Our voice” to trade unions: Enough! No more strikes during school hours and days. Students are not a bargaining chip.
Evelyn Aleman is the founder of Our Voice: Communities for Quality Education, an initiative created by parents and for parents who want a quality education for their children.
Evelyn German
Source: La Opinion
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