Los Angeles, CA – On October 29, East Los Angeles (ELA) residents, led by the community group Centro CSO, scored a major win against a proposed charter school in their neighborhood. Centro CSO members and residents spoke at a meeting of the LA County Board of Supervisors to oppose Extera Charter School’s plan to build a new facility on Gage and Eastman Avenues.

Angelina Chavez, a community member voiced her concerns, stating, “This project will bring constant traffic, noise, and pollution to our quiet street.”

At the meeting, Extera representatives brought over 60 parents, mostly mothers in Extera T-shirts, to voice support. However, opponents highlighted that charter schools often pressure parents to advocate on behalf of projects. Ruben Rodriguez, a resident living adjacent to the site, expressed his frustration: “I live right next to this project, and I am against it because it will cause pollution and more traffic to our community.”

Extera’s plan involved purchasing an old church to build a school for 528 students in the residential neighborhood. The charter organization is already co-located in several local Los Aneles Unified School District (LAUSD) campuses, drawing criticism for taking resources and space from public schools. Both Centro CSO and the United Teachers of Los Angeles have previously protested Extera’s intrusion.

Centro CSO had previously raised concerns about the saturation of charter schools in ELA to LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who responded by challenging the project. Solis noted that the school’s location, near Interstate 5, would worsen traffic, endanger pedestrians, and block driveways. Her objections swayed the board, resulting in a unanimous 5-0 vote against the project – marking a clear win for ELA residents.

Centro CSO Education Committee Co-chair Antonieta Garcia emphasized the health risks posed by the construction site, stating, “The Extera construction site is not safe for the community. If they break ground, it will spread lead contamination.” Garcia celebrated the victory, remarking, “We worked hard for this, canvassing the community and convincing neighbors to stand up and fight. When we fight, we win!”

Key support also came from Los Ruco, a group of retired Chicanos who canvassed door-to-door, attended meetings, and spoke out against the project. Together with Centro CSO, they engaged with residents on their needs and living conditions, rallying neighbors and empowering them to join the fight.

The victory is the latest in Centro CSO’s long-standing fight against privatization in public education, which they see as part of a broader struggle for Chicano power. Centro CSO sees their work as a continuation of the historic ELA high school walkouts of March 1968, when thousands of Chicano students took to the streets to demand educational justice. These walkouts launched the Chicano Power movement of the late 1960s, leading to gains in bilingual education, affirmative action and ethnic studies – victories that Centro CSO fights to protect today.

Centro CSO’s past wins include blocking the construction of a KIPP charter in Boyle Heights and stopping Green Dot from taking over Garfield High School. Their advocacy recently contributed to the election of Dr. Rocio Rivas to the LAUSD board. Centro CSO calls on community members to join them in defending public education.

If you would like to join Centro CSO be sure to contact them @CentroCSO on social media or attend their monthly meeting which takes place every third Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., in Boyle Heights.

Carlos Montes is the Centro CSO Education Committee co-chair.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #PeoplesStruggles #Education #Public Education #CentroCSO #CharterSchools #Feature

Los Angeles, CA – In a hotly debated September 26 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board meeting, a motion to mitigate the negative impact of charter school co-location on public schools passed by 4 yes to 2 no with 1 abstention. 

The motion by Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Rociso Rivas called for a study by the superintendent on the negative impact of charter schools that reside inside public schools. The charter industry has used CA Proposition 39, passed in 2000 and enacted in 2003, to target Black and Chicano community public schools to take up classroom space and recruit students. This negatively impacts local public schools with less funding and classroom space.

The September 26 motion makes one of the most significant changes to local charter school policy since the state first required school systems to offer space to charters more than 20 years ago. 

United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) led the campaign in support of the motion; uniting with ACCE, Reclaim Our Schools, Eastside Padres and Centro CSO.

The community group Centro CSO led successful campaigns against charter schools at Garfield High School stopping a Green Dot take over, at Roosevelt High School stopping a Collegiate Charter school co-location and stopping KIPP Promesa from building a large charter school in Boyle Heights.

Antonieta Garcia, a mother of LAUSD students, called in to make a public comment supporting the motion and giving examples of how charter schools target students with recruitment campaigns causing lower enrollment in local public schools. 

Boyle Heights and East LA are saturated with charter schools due to the former LAUSD board member Monica Garcia opening the door to them. Four of our good public schools have an Extera Charter school on campus – at Second St. Breed, St. Lorena and Eastman elementary schools. East LA also has several KIPP, Arts and Action and now a charter high school Ednovate Esperanza near Garfield High School.

Antonia Montes, a teacher at Eastman Avenue school spoke in person pointing out how Extera charter school took over more space, causing problems at Eastman Avenue school.

“We are saying to that school that the room your staff was using to work with deaf students to do speech therapy is no longer available,” Goldberg said last week. “So go find a corner of your auditorium or, as one of my schools does, find a space on the stairwell in between the first and second floor and have your work with disabled students done.”

Dr. Rocio Rivas in particular has cast charter backers as trying to destroy public education by “privatizing” it. The charter industry, she said, has been “taken over by charter school management organizations, huge industries that are profiting.”

The resolution prohibits charters from moving onto campuses deemed especially vulnerable to harm by disruption.

It is no coincidence that a resolution to limit campus sharing is arriving at this moment, said board member George McKenna, “because this is the first time since I’ve been on this board we’ve had a non-charter-school majority.”

McKenna and Goldberg – who won office with support from the teacher’s union – are not running for reelection. That means future charter school policy will be at stake next year in school board elections that are typically the most high-spending races in the country.

Voting for the resolution were Goldberg, Rivas, McKenna and Scott Schmerelson. Voting against it were Melvoin and Tanya Ortiz Franklin. Kelly Gonez abstained.

Carlos Montes is a member of Centro CSO.

#LosAngelesCA #PublicEducation #CharterSchools #Community

On multiple occasions the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) – representing the educators – requested to continue negotiations in good faith. However, Urban Prep management did not agree to meet again until 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 7, after the strike was already underway.

The educators and Urban Prep management went on to bargain late into Monday night, but Urban Prep refused to compromise on several of the central issues that matter to the educators and students. No deal was reached and the strike continues.

One important sticking point is Urban Prep’s refusing to put students’ special education rights into the labor contract, where they would be enforceable. Management is also demanding an extended period to fire educators even if the educator is highly qualified. Urban Prep charter schools are well known to have a dangerously high turnover of educators.

The CEO of Urban Prep makes nearly as much money for overseeing three charter schools as the Chicago Public Schools CEO makes to oversee more than 500 Chicago public schools. The CTU is calling the question on this abuse of public monies.

In addition, CTU says Urban Prep has a long history of resorting to the use of payday loan terms and ‘sales of future receivables’ contracts with merchant cash advance organizations to finance school operations. It is otherwise unheard of for public schools to enter into these sorts of shady contracts because they come with shockingly high interest rates over time at the public’s and students’ expense. In fact, Urban Prep has paid more than $1.6 million to merchant cash advance businesses.

Urban Prep also received $3 million in forgivable COVID PPP loans, yet the teachers say they see no evidence that those funds have made it to the classroom or been used for education.

The strike is ongoing as public pressure grows on Urban Prep and its CEO.

#ChicagoIL #teachers #strike #Strikes #TeachersUnions #CTU #charterSchools #ChicagoTeachersUnion

Chicago, IL – Educators at EPIC Academy College Prep who are seeking to join the Chicago Teachers Union celebrated the afternoon of May 18, when the NLRB – the National Labor Relations Board – blocked their employer’s reckless demand that they hold an in-person union election at the school. Such an election would have forced workers to risk their own health and the health of their loved ones during the shelter-in-place order.

Educators’ relief was tempered by disappointment at the labor board’s ruling to exclude three colleagues, who are security specialists at the school, from the bargaining unit. “We are extremely frustrated with the decision that the security staff at EPIC would be considered guards alone,” said EPIC teacher Quincy Bloem. “These dedicated and kindhearted workers represent the glue that holds EPIC together; they work daily to build strong relationships with students and faculty alike to help make EPIC feel like a second home.”

Andrew Escalante, tenth grade lead teacher at EPIC, said educators will push through in their bid to join the CTU. “This decision will not stop us from establishing our union and working to ensure all members of the EPIC community are being supported.”

With those security specialists excluded, 42 educators will vote on joining the CTU. Ballots will be mailed Friday, May 29 and must be returned by Wednesday, June 24. Ballots will be counted Wednesday, July 1 at 3 p.m.

#ChicagoIL #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #TeachersUnions #charterSchools #EPICAcademyCollegePrep

Chicago, IL – Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members at as many as ten more charter schools could be on the picket lines on May 1 – May Day – in what would be the third CTU strike against charter operators this school year.

This would be the first multi-employer charter strike in U.S. history.

CTU educators announced their strike date in a joint press conference, April 25, with City Colleges clerks and technical workers in AFT/IFT Local 1708, who have been without a contract for almost three years. Local 1708 workers will hit the picket lines the morning of May Day, International Workers’ Day, if no agreement is reached.

Charter educators at five schools will declare a strike on May Day, after the formal end of the school day, if they have not settled contracts with operators. And more charter schools could strike around that date, as well. CTU members at four Aspira schools voted overwhelmingly to strike this week.

“As teachers, our charge in society is to unlock the human potential of the next generation of our society and our youth, and we take that job very seriously,” said CTU President Jesse Sharkey. “But we cannot do that job if there are no resources for our classrooms, no supports for our students, or no dignity for educators. If we have to strike to improve learning conditions for our students and wages and working conditions for our educators, we will be on the picket lines in a week.”

City College workers share a common target with workers at two Instituto Progresso del Latino charter schools that could strike in May. City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado ran Instituto from 2001 until he was appointed head of City Colleges two years ago by outgoing Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. Yet despite Salgado's professed support for economic justice, City Colleges clerks work for poverty wages, just as Salgado and his chosen Instituto successors chronically low-ball wages for educators at their charter schools.

Charter operators across the city chronically steer public education dollars away from classroom needs into management salaries and non-education spending.

“For too long, charter operators have viewed public education dollars as a tool to enrich themselves, their bloated bureaucracies and their insider charter 'management' operations, while our students suffer the consequences in gutted resources, overcrowded classrooms and reduced supports,” said CTU charter division chair Chris Baehrend. “That's got to end.”

The five schools considering striking employ 134 CTU members who educate almost 1800 students. All five schools voted overwhelmingly to strike earlier this month, with 94% of union members voting, and 97% voting to strike if there is no progress at the bargaining table. That number could grow if the Aspira schools' 107 members strike. 93% of the Aspira educators who voted this week supported authorizing a strike.

“Management's bottom line is about lining their pockets, not supporting students,” said Linda Zaia of Youth Connections Leadership Academy. “At the bargaining table, management has refused to address the need for student safety, restorative justice, special education services, counselors, therapists or any other student needs. Our management makes $3.4 million a year, while we have members making less than $40,000 a year. That's wrong.”

CTU members are demanding contract language that guarantees federally mandated services for special education students; more support for English language learners and immigrant students; adequate staffing and resources for schools with serious shortages of both; and equal pay for equal work with Chicago Public School (CPS) colleagues, who teach the same students for better wages and working conditions.

Chronic under-resourcing, poor working conditions and low wages – which can be as little as 40% of what CPS pays comparable workers – drives high turnover and tremendous instability at charters. Working conditions can be so bad that staff churn can average 20% per year or more at some schools, undermining learning conditions and desperately needed support for students.

“We have an obligation to raise the question of what's right, not just for ourselves as workers, but for the entire working class in the city of Chicago, because that's who sends their kids to public schools,” said Sharkey. “We're going to do what's right – we're going to demand resources for our schools, decent teaching and learning conditions in our classrooms, we're going to bargain hard – and if we can't get what's right at the bargaining table, we're going to take our fight for justice to the picket line.”

ChiArts teachers are also battling to force the operator to contribute to their pension fund. School cofounder and wealthy investment banker Jim Mabie, who sits on both the ChiArts and Chicago Symphony Orchestra boards, opposes pension payments along with other ChiArts board members. Mabie is trying to eliminate the pensions of striking Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians, as well.

Union charter workers are fighting to reform both the targeted operators and the larger charter industry. Operators across the nation, like these operators, have a long history of siphoning off public education dollars from academic programs and student supports to bankroll bloated bureaucracies, inflated executive salaries and exorbitant management fees.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #Strikes #TeachersUnions #charterSchools

After two historic strikes against charter operators, including the first in the nation's history last December, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members who work at five charter schools announced strike vote results April 9, at Instituto del Progreso Latino, one of the charter operators with which union members are bargaining. The five schools employ 134 CTU members who educate almost 1800 students.

94% of union members voted, and of those, 97% voted in favor of striking if there is no progress at the bargaining table.

Union teachers and support staff at the schools are demanding protections for diverse learners – including protections built into the contract to provide special education students with the services they both need and are entitled to under federal law. They're demanding more support for English language learners and immigrant students, including sanctuary protections enshrined in contract language, adequate staffing and resources for schools that have historically suffered from serious shortages of both, and equal pay for equal work with their colleagues in CPS. At one school, teachers are also battling to force the operator to contribute to their pension fund, a move opposed by the same wealthy businessman, Jim Mabie, who is trying to gut the pensions of striking Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians. Mabie sits on both boards.

“We're announcing our results together today because our issues are the same,” said Chris Baehrend, chair of the CTU charter division. “Our interests are student interests. Our employers' interests are business interests. And we've seen the same issues, with lack of access to special education, larger class sizes, refusing to pay fair wages, and lack of supports for students. We're serving these operators notice: We're going to change the way they operate because our students deserve better.”

Chronic under-resourcing and poor wages and working conditions drive high turnover rates at charter schools, undermining students' educational progress and the stability and sustainability of school communities. Charter educators want to change those dynamics as part of an effort to reform the entire charter industry, which is plagued by low investment in academic programs and student supports and inflated executive salaries and management fees.

IHSCA, the Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy, where the rally and strike vote results will be announced, serves more than 700 high school students. IHSCA is bargaining a joint contract with another small Instituto-controlled school, IJLA, the Instituto Justice Leadership Academy. The school serves just under 100 students aged 17-21 who previously left school and are seeking a high school diploma. Both schools are overwhelmingly low-income and Latino, with high percentages of limited English-speaking students.

“Our staff voted unanimously to authorize a strike today,” said Gema Gaete, who works at IJLA. “We say enough is enough with organizations opening up charter schools and not providing the resources necessary for an adequate education for our students. Our students deserve special education services – and a school that follows the federal law for those services. They deserve all the resources necessary for English language learners. It's time to stop shortchanging our kids. We're ready to strike to get those resources to our students.”

At ChiArts, more than 40 teachers are fighting for more classroom resources, from science equipment to books. They're also trying to force management to pay into their pension fund, something that every charter operator receiving CPS funds is legally obligated to do. Management at the publicly funded selective enrollment school of 600 students has also refused to provide detailed financial information.

“I'm in total solidarity with the teachers, social workers, support staff, students and parents who are leading this education movement,” said Byron Sigcho Lopez, alderman-elect of the 25th Ward, which houses Instituto. “This movement is standing up to the abuse of charter operators, who cut student services to support their profits, and we demand the education our students deserve.”

At Latino Youth High School, or LYHS, the school's employer, Pilsen Wellness Center, is insisting on a longer school day and school year in addition to other reductions in contractual benefits, while refusing the union's demand for equal pay for equal work, in a school whose 220 students are almost 90% Latinx and 10% Black. The school's employer has brought in proprietary mental health services which only serve students with Medicaid and certain private health insurance plans, leaving at least 60 highly traumatized students without mental health services during the day because PWC cannot profit from servicing them.

“Our CTU members at these five schools are fighting for our most vulnerable students,” said CTU officer Maria Moreno. “They're fighting for contracts that provide the resources our students need, and we'll be on the picket lines if that's what it takes to fight these operators' cutbacks and bad practices.”

At YCLA -Youth Connection Leadership Academy – CTU members are bargaining with charter operator YCCS, which, like many operators, has larded up on executives positions while shortchanging spending on academic needs for students. YCCS pays YCLA's CEO almost $180,000 per year and the CEO's top deputy almost $160,000 per year, with some educators making barely a fifth of that. Management has drawn complaints that range from body-shaming to shortchanging special education students at the overwhelmingly Black, low-income school on Chicago's South Side.

Charter operator Instituto has claimed it has concerns about the validity of the strike votes at IHSCA and IJLA. Educators have flatly rejected that claim as a smear to dodge serious resource issues the charter operator has created, and they welcomed the opportunity to provide extensive documentation that would verify the legitimacy the vote. CTU members expect to set a strike date in the next two weeks.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #Strikes #TeachersUnions #charterSchools

Chicago, IL – The strike by members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) at CICS charter schools entered its second week, February 11. More than 175 unionized educators at four schools run by charter operator CICS – Chicago International Charter Schools – are walking the picket lines for better conditions, better pay and the schools their students deserve. The strikers are keeping their spirits high, despite more than a week of picketing in the cold and dark.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #Strikes #TeachersUnions #charterSchools #CICS

Chicago, IL – Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) educators at four CICS schools struck for the third day, February 7, with management dug in on exchanging wage parity with CPS educators for higher caseloads for counselors and social workers, larger class sizes with no enforcement language, and no written guarantee not to cut student services or resources. Management wants to increase the student-to-counselor/social worker ratio, which is already well over nationally recommended ratios, giving management the wiggle room to lay off some frontline staff.

CICS still refuses to dip into $36 million in public education funds it has siphoned out of classrooms. Up to 30% of the public funds CICS receives are deflected into inflated management fees, redundant bureaucracies and 'reserves.'

Educators have refused to trade raises for larger class sizes or reductions in student services.

On Wednesday, CICS sent at least eight corporate staff to bust legal picket lines at Wrightwood and Ellison, including Chief of Strategy & Portfolio Christine Leung, who earns $140,000 per year, Director of Network Policy Yesica Rufino-Perez, who earns $100,000 a year, and Chief of Network Services Kathleen Clark, who earns more than $140,000. One CICS corporate employee urged police to threaten to arrest all strikers if even one spoke to parents.

“Those are really pricey union busters,” said Northtown teacher Jen Conant, who heads up the CTU bargaining team. Management has told parents that children will be punished for unexcused absences (false) and that school was open for instruction (even though 'instructors' are on the picket line, not in school teaching) to try to get children across the picket lines. CICS also for the first time posted security staff at Wrightwood, beginning on the first day of the strike. “That's an awful use of public education dollars that could instead be used to settle the strike and preserve student services,” said Conant.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #teachers #Strikes #CTU #charterSchools

Los Angeles, CA – As of January 29, UTLA strike victories continue. At a contentious public LAUSD meeting the Board voted 5-1 for a “moratorium on new charter schools.” A loud but small rally by the pro-charter forces chanted and gave misleading speeches promoting their lies. The LAUSD boardroom was packed, with many waiting outside and watching on remote TV. The pro-charter forces packed the room hoping to pressure the board members to vote against a resolution to cap new charter schools. To counter, Eastside Parents Against Privatization leader Eloisa Galindo and Julie Regalado spoke in support of a moratorium on charters. They also told of the damage and segregation charters school cause at LAUSD.

This moratorium or cap on new charter schools was a victory won during the massive strike and rallies during the UTLA strike January 14 to 22. The strike saw over 30,000 teachers striking and over 300,000 students boycotting schools. The demands were: to improve LAUSD public schools, lower class sizes, community schools, more nurses, librarians and counselors, along with ethnic studies and decent wages. After round the clock negotiations at LA city hall, the pro-charter Superintendent Austin Beutner caved and included a moratorium of new charter school as part of the tentative agreement.

The charter moratorium agreement does not try to eliminate the current large number of charter schools nor those that are in co-locations. However, the agreement does call for advance notices and for an effort to go to the California state government for changes and more future funding. LAUSD has been hit by a proliferation of charter schools which drain over $600 million per year in primarily Black and brown neighborhoods of Los Angeles. UTLA made holding charters schools back a central part of the demands and on second day of strike held a massive rally at the office of the CA Charter Schools Association.

Centro CSO in Boyle Heights wholeheartedly participated in the UTLA strike by walking the picket lines every day at Breed Street School. CSO joined all the rallies and worked closely with Eastside Parents Against Privatization. The parent group and Centro CSO are part of the fight against the mega KIPP Promesa charter school project to build a large 625-student school in the heart of Boyle Heights at the old Lincoln Hospital. With the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Association, a lawsuit was filed on January 4 against the city of Los Angeles and KIPP Promesa charter school. February and March will see the court and community battle to stop this mega KIPP school.

Please donate to pay for legal fees of the lawsuit http://gofundme.com/HelpCentroCSO and participate in CSO’s upcoming meeting February 20 at 6 p.m. at the Boyle Heights Benjamin Franklin Library. For more information call 323-943-2030.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #LAUSD #UTLA #TeachersUnions #charterSchools

The strike is the first of a charter operator in the nation. It began almost five years to the day after the charter operator's previous CEO was forced to resign for doling out insider contracts and living large on public dollars that should have bankrolled schoolbooks and student supports.

On Friday, December 7, UNO/Acero management filed unfair labor practice charges – a ULP – against the CTU, based on bogus allegations that even the charter operator's lawyers described as 'hearsay' and the union described as a desperate press stunt. On Saturday, Latinx elected officials publicly blasted Rodriguez, telling him to either reach a fair agreement with strikers or resign.

A rally of strikers, parents, neighborhood residents and labor allies will take place on Sunday, December 9, at 1 p.m. at the CTU union hall at 1901 W. Carroll Avenue.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #Strikes #TeachersUnions #charterSchools #UNOACEROCharterSchoolNetwork

“Had we not unionized, we could never have gotten to this tentative agreement tonight – and taken such strong steps to begin to improve classroom conditions and win fair pay for our members,” said Gina Mengarelli, a member of Passages’ ChiACTS Local 4343 bargaining team. “We’re so grateful for the overwhelming support we have received over the course of the past year from our students’ families, the community and the labor movement. There is nothing more important to us than our students, and we’re glad that we have been able to make progress on improving our school in ways that will produce tangible benefits for our students. We look forward to working with AHS to make sure that the school is able to provide the best education possible to the children and families we serve. And we look forward to being in class with our students on Thursday!”

Passages’ union educators, who work longer days for less pay than the vast majority of educators at Chicago’s other charter schools, won major concessions from management, including in wages for teachers, a third of whom currently earn less than $40,000 for a work week that can top 60 hours.

The tentative agreement also makes major strides in critical non-economic issues, including increasing teacher voice in decisions that affect students, providing safe and healthy working and learning conditions, and putting in place a fair and collaborative teacher evaluation system. Class size limits are held to 28 students, and the agreement includes language that provides for more meaningful prep time for teachers.

In the coming days, the union’s bargaining team will be presenting the tentative agreement to its membership, with discussion and a vote on ratification to follow in the coming weeks.

#ChicagoIL #teachers #TeachersUnions #charterSchools