If Adults Actually Want to Fight for Students, Then They Should Listen Up
By Desiree Martinez
Originally published by the Los Angeles Daily News
At no point in the nearly two years it took for the United Teachers Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent to reach a tentative deal were students asked what they wanted or how proposed solutions would impact their educational aspirations. Yet we saw both UTLA and LAUSD co-opt the interests of students when defending their position.
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl has said: “students across the city are not getting what they deserve.” LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner has said: “It is my singular goal to … make sure all Los Angeles Unified students get the great education they deserve.”
While we’re all happy that adults on both sides finally reached an agreement that’s poised to get teachers back in the classrooms, we should also acknowledge that neither side genuinely gave students a seat at the negotiation table to make their demands.
Students want what is fundamentally and constitutionally owed to us: an equal access to a high-quality K-12 education that provide students with a pathway to college.
That's why we're demanding that LAUSD commit to raising graduation standards to fully align with UC and Cal State entrance requirements.