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‘Union Power’ wins big but most UTLA members didn’t vote*
UTLA is headed in a new direction — mostly veering to the left. Despite a low turnout, Union Power candidates claimed victory today, with wins in nearly every leadership position within UTLA, the nation’s second-largest teachers union. The progressive group — which plans to call for a strike if a new teacher contract can’t be...
By Vanessa Romo | March 21, 2014
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In race to run powerful teachers union: ideology up for grabs
As campaigning begins in earnest at United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the second-largest teachers union in the country, the election for the presidency could be as much about ideology as which candidate has more foot-soldiers. The union has shown signs of deep fracture lately, and with just 20 percent of the union’s 35,000 members expected...
By Vanessa Romo | February 11, 2014
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Union candidates gang up on Fletcher and, of course, Deasy
The Los Angeles teachers union election process is long – from February to July – and a lot like a reality show, with multiple voting rounds to knock out candidates/contestants, until finally, there’s only one person left standing. That’s especially true in the race for UTLA president, which has 10 men competing for the chance...
By Vanessa Romo | January 31, 2014
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School Board Meeting Wrap Up: More Discussion Than Votes*
What began as a breezy LA Unified School Board meeting on Tuesday turned, not surprisingly, into a long, tedious, sometimes rancorous session, with a host of issues discussed but rarely resolved. A number of key votes were postponed, and Superintendent John Deasy’s highly anticipated budget presentation was postponed until the Sept. 10 board meeting so it could...
By Hillel Aron | August 20, 2013
Investigation: Nearly 1,000 Native Children Died in Federal Boarding Schools
Podcast: What a Mentorship Mindset Can Do for Student Motivation
Black and Hispanic Voters Say Democrats Aren’t Focused Enough on K-12 Education
Teen Activist Rhea Maniar on the Power of Abortion to Turn Out Young Voters
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Challengers to Fletcher Could Emerge at UTLA Conference
The teachers union’s annual Leadership Conference starts today (click here to see the program), and perhaps the biggest question on members’ minds is who will rise to challenge UTLA President Warren Fletcher as he seeks reelection in January. Filing won’t officially begin until December, but the campaign season begins today. “Most slates [of candidates] are...
By Hillel Aron | August 2, 2013
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Union President Likely Faces 2014 Challengers
Warren Fletcher’s three-year term as UTLA President is heading into its last year, and while the teachers union election is a long way off it seems likely that he will face a challenger or two. One of the potential challengers is a teacher activist from Crenshaw High school. The other is a current UTLA Vice...
By Hillel Aron | June 13, 2013
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Rumors Swirl Around Sanchez Staff Possibilities
The teachers union is none too pleased about a recent LA Times story by Howard Blume about rumors that District 6 School Board candidate Antonio Sanchez had worked out a secret deal with UTLA Vice President Gregg Solkovits. “It is sad that the Times has chosen to print rumors and innuendo, instead of doing the necessary research...
By Hillel Aron | April 29, 2013
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UTLA Official Kneecaps Mayoral Candidate Garcetti
On Monday, Mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel gained the endorsement of the powerful LA County Federation of Labor — an umbrella group of county unions. Greuel is supported by nearly every large union in the city (with the exception of UTLA). But, intriguingly, it was a member of the UTLA leadership, Gregg Solkovits, who helped convince...
By Hillel Aron | March 21, 2013