Free Republic

About 30,000 Los Angeles teachers and school employees are holding education hostage to demand higher pay and “smaller class sizes” – a popular phrase that equates to more dues paying union employees. On picket lines across the district Monday, striking teachers toted protest signs in the rain as they swapped horror stories about classes with 40 or more students packed in “like sardines.” What they didn’t discuss: How the United Teachers Los Angeles union’s immigration policies contribute to overcrowded schools and its demands for more staff to handle the situatio

Celebrities are showing their support for Los Angeles teachers, who walked off the job Monday, the union’s first strike in 30 years. After nearly two years of talks, negotiations, talks between officials at the Los Angeles United School District and the United Teachers Los Angeles union broke down Friday over issues of wages, the expansion of charter schools, class sizes and staffing levels. Approximately 30,000 UTLA members, including school nurses and librarians as well as teachers are off the job as of today with about 500,000 students affected. Charter and private schools in L.A. are not affected by the strike....