The foundation of our country relies on how we educate younger generations, thus we should pay our teachers accordingly — they now have demanded this for themselves.
On Jan. 14, educators from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) began the six-day strike calling for raises, smaller class sizes, and the employment of more nurses and counselors.
Thousands of United Teachers Los Angeles members and supporters marched on the streets of the city to bring attention to their cause – financial hardships coming from parents choosing charter schools and the difficult learning conditions in the classroom.
The agreement between the teachers and LAUSD included a 3 percent raise for teachers this year and last year, a reduction in class sizes for all grade levels, an addition of 300 nurses, 80 new teacher librarians and one counselor for every 500 students.
These are the people who are educating the youth of our country and if they do not have the necessary tools to do so, then we are hindering thousands of students’ education.
We pay athletes millions of dollars to play sports, but barely give teachers a salary to live on.
We need to value the instructors of public schools because they are building the foundation of these students’ futures.
Smaller class sizes are important because teachers are able to give more attention and assistance to every one of their students. A decrease in class sizes also means fewer distractions for students and they are able to receive more help to effectively learn.
Mental health is becoming a part of people’s regular checkups and it is essential that counselors keep an eye on students in high school.
High school is when teenagers begin to take on more responsibility, while also trying to figure out what their futures will hold.
It is imperative that more counselors are available to students, not only to help them decide what college is best for them, but also to check in on how they are doing.
After the agreement, teachers returned to their classrooms on Jan. 23.
The strike cost the district more than $125 million, according to LAUSD, because the funds are based on daily attendance and many students did not go to school.
Teachers and supporters exercised their First Amendment right in order to receive better working conditions and a better learning environment for their students.
Hopefully this leads to more focus and assistance to schools across the country and the improvement of the quality of education for future students.