United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) continues to prove true that “when we strike, we win” as the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education on Tuesday called for a state study on the impacts of charters and a moratorium on new charter schools until the study is complete.

The charter moratorium vote is a historic moment in the fight for public schools, and is a direct result of UTLA educators, parents and communities standing up for a sustainable school district that provides opportunity to all Los Angeles students.

“LAUSD has joined the NAACP and other key organizations in calling on the State of California for a moratorium on charters,” said UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl. “This is a win for justice, transparency and common sense. We need to invest in our existing schools, not follow a business model of unregulated growth when new schools are fundamentally not needed in L.A.”

Charters have grown exponentially at LAUSD, from 10 in the 2000-01 school year to 277 this year, with the district now the largest charter school authorizer in the nation. Due to the oversaturation of charter schools, more than 80 percent cannot meet their projected enrollment numbers, calling into question the charter industry’s assertion that their schools have waiting lists and underscoring that there are already more than enough charter schools to meet demand.

At the same meeting, the school board unanimously approved the contract with UTLA that prioritizes what students need, reduces class sizes and gives public schools the resources they need to provide opportunity to all L.A. kids.

Photo by Jollene Levid / UTLA