L.A. Teachers Union to Discuss Lawsuit Settlement Next Week (CA)

October 15, 2010

The union representing Los Angeles teachers plans to meet with the school district and other legal groups next week to discuss a proposed settlement that would dramatically alter the way teachers are laid off during tough economic times.

Attorneys disclosed their plans during a status conference in the case Thursday morning.

Last week, the Board of Education unanimously approved the proposed settlement during a closed-session meeting. The agreement calls for teachers to be dismissed at about the same rate at schools throughout the district, which means less experienced teachers at some campuses would be spared while more veteran instructors at other campuses could lose their jobs. The settlement would exempt up to 45 campuses from layoffs altogether if the schools demonstrate academic improvement. It also potentially paves the way for new evaluations and merit pay at some campuses.

United Teachers Los Angeles officials had participated in early settlement talks but the union’s attorney did not attend any meetings after July 27. The union said it was not informed of recent settlement talks, something other attorneys dispute.

A group of school board members, civic leaders and attorneys significantly expanded the scope of settlement, which initially had focused on preventing high numbers of seniority-based layoffs at three of the city’s worst-performing middle schools.

Attorneys for all parties agreed to update a judge of their progress in about two weeks.