LAUSD Teacher Strike

Today all the teachers of the LAUSD have decided to have organized strikes the first hour of school.

First off, we, the students, can understand their struggle because there is an especially profound, dare I say symbiotic, relationship between the teachers and ourselves. In this case the existence and prosperity of one is dependant on the willingness and presence of the other (i.e. teachers can not instruct if they have no students willing or present and students can not learn if there are no willing mentors). It is this symbiotic relationship would imply their decision to "walk out" on their students is ludicrous and naive. By neglecting their students for one hour the teachers of the Los Angeles Unified School District have deprived us of over 500,000 combined hours of precious classroom time. Furthermore, this action poses a negative example to many of my peers by presenting students with the option to opt for truancy the first hour of class. If just one student from each school in the district were truant it would mean there are 658 youths walking the streets of Los Angeles prone to the many dangers that would not be an issue were they in class.

Note that I personally do not blame the LAUSD itself, but rather the teachers and their union who have organized this strike. Yesterday night a recorded call of the district superintendent David L. Brewer III was made to the homes of all students, in which he stated that the Los Angeles Unified School District, the media, and the local and state governments can sympathize with the teachers, but do not support the method in which they have chosen to express themselves for the aforementioned reason. While I can sympathize with their cause the hypocrisy behind the struggle illustrates a blatant disregard for the students, therefore spreading the issue they wish to resolve which is to improve teachers wages and challenge the state budget cuts that will quickly become detrimental to the students who rely on funding for many elective courses such as music, sports, and journalism. By walking out on students the teachers have instantaneously simulated the effects a budget cut would have on the students.

This does not mean to say there are no other means to address this issue. While teachers fight for fair wages and their positions, the majority of students are concerned with the quality of instruction. The teachers must understand it is at times like this where the student-teacher symbiosis is crucial for the success of both our causes. If either teachers or students opt to fight for their cause without the support of the other faction we harm the other side and only help to contribute to the problem at hand. Joining together and fighting for what we deserve on a united front will not only bolster our influence, but show government officials our concern not only for ourselves, teacher or student, but for the total well-being and integrity of the district.

Ichigo