Building the Power to Reclaim Our Schools

In January 2019, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) held a six-day strike in response to challenges facing The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), resulting from LAUSD’s inability to raise local property taxes and the growing charter school sector that draws funding away from public education. The protest was largely successful, leading to a six percent pay raise for teachers, more nurses, counselors, and librarians in schools, commitments for more green space on campuses, an end to random searches of students, and more. This report examines how UTLA and Reclaim Our Schools Los Angeles (ROSLA) built and carried out the campaign that ultimately led to these changes; this case study can serve as a roadmap for other school districts, labor unions, and community organizations facing similar attacks on public education.