„Not a day goes by that I don`t talk to a teacher or a parent about how much they want to go back to personal education, we know our babies need it and we have a hard time being back, but only when it`s safer,“ Myart-Cruz said. „During this difficult period of unprecedented health risks to students and staff, LAUSD and UTLA agreed that scientific standards must be the guide to the physical reopening of schools. The Los Angeles Unified School District and associate administrators in Los Angeles have reached an agreement on how to bring students and staff back to campus for private lessons, one of the agreements the district has negotiated with its employee groups. LOS ANGELES – UTLA and LAUSD reached an interim agreement on Sunday evening that meets UTLA`s top priorities for protecting the health and safety of staff and students. Bridging the digital divide by „smart start“ in the school year and promoting technology; Strengthening distance education in times of crisis to maintain the daily life of the school; Extending socio-emotional support during this period of trauma; and ensure the discretion and flexibility of educators by recognizing the unprecedented circumstances in which we live. „This agreement is given by educators, students and parents. This agreement is not an end point – it is a start,“ said Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of UTLA. We need to invest more resources to create safe and healthy schools and build on this agreement, responding to the responses of educators, parents and students. The agreement will then be submitted to the LAUSD School Board for a vote and a vote by UTLA members next week. If the agreement is ratified by UTLA members, it will remain in effect until December 31, 2020 or until students physically return to LAUSD schools for regular education. UTLA and LAUSD will continue to negotiate the conditions necessary for the physical reopening of schools.

Some highlights of the TA: „When LAUSD school campuses were closed in March, educators, parents and students had to adapt to an emergency moment in a matter of days. This time, it was important to reconsider the challenges and take into account feedback from this experience – using information from a consultation with parents and members and feedback from members – which is reflected in this final agreement,“ said Arlene Inouye, co-chair of the UTLA negotiating organization. The Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles Teachers` negotiating team got the deal late Sunday night after a marathon weekend trading session, UTLA reported on social media.