LA charter school teachers remain on strike

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The strike by Los Angeles Unified School District teachers has ended, but educators at local charter schools are still fighting.

United Teachers Los Angeles also represents teachers from the Accelerated Schools Charter Network.

At a news conference Thursday, parents and teachers rallied for public charter schools in South Los Angeles.

About 80 teachers at the charter school have been on strike since Jan. 15. It's believed to be the first strike by charter school teachers in California.

The group gathered at the Accelerated schools main campus off Main Street and MLK boulevard. Another group was expected to gather again Friday to picket around 7 a.m.

"Elected officials got involved and were inspired by educators in the strike that just ended," said UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl. "Come and be inspired by the educators here, elected officials. We need you."

Teachers from the Accelerated Schools Charter Network say they are hoping to get better salaries as well as health benefits and better job protections.

"What's been happening is 40 percent turnover of teachers at this school," Caputo-Pearl said. "And a lot of that is because they don't have due process. That hurts students when that many teachers are changing every year."

The Accelerated Schools declined to comment, but on its website the organization posted a statement about the strike, reading in part:

"In hopes of averting a strike, TAS presented UTLA with a new offer that included a process for teachers with strong performance evaluations to receive a guaranteed two-year contract with a $2,000 bonus upon completion. UTLA refused the offer.

"Teachers who are doing a great job for students will always have a place at TAS. On behalf of our students, we implore UTLA to work with us to find a reasonable resolution that puts kids first."