California Democrats back teachers in LAUSD strike, but encourage a swift end to the walkout

As teachers braved the rain to strike in Los Angeles on Monday, politicians across California voiced their support for United Teachers Los Angeles.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Democratic Party and several members of the state Legislature encouraged negotiators to work toward a speedy resolution that prioritizes both educators and students. In a statement, he promoted the additional funding for education included in his proposed budget.

“This impasse is disrupting the lives of too many kids and their families,” he said. “I strongly urge all parties to go back to the negotiating table and find an immediate path forward that puts kids back into classrooms and provides parents certainty.”

Newsom’s proposed budget, introduced last week, would help pay down billions of dollars in pension obligations carried by the school district, as well as provide funding for special education and early childhood education.

“The budget also makes substantial additional investments in counties and providers by supporting children experiencing mental illness and investing in homelessness services — all of which can translate into additional services and support for children served by LAUSD,” the governor said in the statement.

Alexandra Gallardo Rooker, the acting chair of the state Democratic Party, released a statement expressing her admiration for UTLA’s goals to reduce class sizes and improve compensation for staff, although she said “no one wants to see a strike.”

“California’s students deserve to have teachers and school staff who are equipped with the resources necessary to help them succeed,” she said.

And on behalf of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) praised teachers for going on strike to support their students.

“This strike is a measure of last resort, but one that is critical to ensuring the teachers in the nation’s second-largest school district are adequately compensated and have the resources they need to do their critical work for our children,” she said.

The latest on the LAUSD teachers’ strike »

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra