Teachers and Schools Benefit from Union

Re “A Teachers Union for 2005,” editorial, Feb. 12: As a former business executive who recently began teaching high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I am puzzled by The Times’ persistent bashing of the teachers union leadership. Whatever the leadership’s shortcomings, they pale in comparison with the bloated L.A. Unified bureaucracy and the obscene levels of administrative spending under Supt. Roy Romer’s leadership. Where is The Times’ call for restrained administrative spending by L.A. Unified?

Michael Stryer

Pacific Palisades

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The Times repeatedly lumps criticism of the LAUSD’s hierarchal decision-making policies with blasts at the United Teachers Los Angeles. Why not do studies of the number of schools that do in fact have school-based management systems? Why not update the news with information about UTLA’s current election? You might find that The Times’ reporting on issues within the LAUSD and UTLA is out of date and cliche-ridden. Whose agenda is The Times really serving?

Mary Whitlock

Silver Lake

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I really take offense to your Feb. 12 editorial. You are overlooking some reform initiatives of UTLA in recent years. UTLA negotiated with the district the Peer Assistance and Review program to help veteran teachers who are not doing well. This program, which is a joint venture of the district and the union, also sponsors workshops on classroom management and standards-based instruction. UTLA created the Helen Bernstein Professional Center to train beginning teachers, and it provides support classes for teachers seeking National Board certification. UTLA supports class-size reductions; teachers know that students learn better in small classes. Unfortunately, the class-size reductions, which The Times says have “drawn a flood of young teachers,” have not been extended beyond third grade. My high school classes got bigger instead of smaller in recent years.

I cannot understand why The Times does not think UTLA should fight for pay raises and retirement benefits for its membership. If teachers stay in the profession, they come to realize the importance of financial security and retirement benefits as a compensation for low salaries.

Carol Perry

Redondo Beach