If it seems every week that another teachers strike is happening or threatening to happen, you’re not imagining things.
Across the state, teachers unions are coordinating work stoppages, and school districts must make tough decisions that could affect thousands of students, writes CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones reports.
To maximize political reach, 11 local teachers unions under the California Teachers Association aligned their contracts to all expire on June 30, 2025. A dozen other districts also joined the effort, resulting in the spate of strikes, or near strikes, you’ve likely heard about: San Francisco and West Contra Costa teachers went on strike; San Diego nearly had a walkoff; and teachers in Los Angeles, Oakland and elsewhere are either voting to strike or appear to be heading towards a strike vote.
The unions are demanding higher salaries and better benefits, but some also want amenities that benefit students, such as protections for immigrants and LGBTQ students, and additional student support services.
- David Goldberg, president of the teachers association: “Everywhere in the state there are people with unmet needs. The conditions have been ripe for a long time.”
In addition to budget gaps, school districts must contend with declining enrollment, which can lead to less state money since funds are based, in part, on enrollment. The end of pandemic-era relief money, which some districts used to increase teacher pay or hire permanent staff, also means that those districts are now struggling to pay for salaries.
If districts agree to teachers’ demands, special school programs, such as sports, electives and other offerings, might be cut to offset costs. This could disproportionately affect low-income students, who are more likely to rely on these programs.
CalMatters for Learning: Lesson-plan-ready versions of our explainers on AI in schools, energy costs, renters rights, the state’s insurance crisis and more — all especially made for teachers, libraries and community groups, as part of the CalMatters for Learning initiative.
Other Stories You Should Know
Pipeline dispute continues
A Santa Barbara judge has dealt a blow to a Houston-based company seeking to restart a troubled oil pipeline off the California coast, reports CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo.
Sable Offshore Corp. wants to restart a pipeline that spilled thousands of barrels of crude oil along the shore of Santa Barbara County in 2015. After California regulators told Sable it must repair pipeline corrosion last fall, the company got President Donald Trump’s administration to step in and reclassify the pipeline as “interstate,” shifting oversight from the state to the federal regulators.
Environmental groups and California sued the Trump administration, and in a tentative ruling Thursday, a judge said that the federal intervention was not enough to lift an earlier court order to keep the pipeline shut down.
The ruling comes ahead of a hearing today, as the company faces multiple injunctions and legal scrutiny, including a criminal prosecution and a federal securities inquiry.
Truck drivers and ICE training
Two recent updates on CalMatters’ immigration coverage:
- Truck drivers: A Bay Area judge ruled Wednesday to temporarily allow more than 20,000 immigrant truck drivers to keep their trucking licenses in California. The state previously revoked those licenses due to pressure from the Trump administration. Following a lawsuit, California extended the expiration dates of the licenses to March, prompting the Trump administration to say it will withhold federal highway funds as punishment. Lawyers with the state raised concerns that Wednesday’s ruling could risk California’s ability to grant commercial licenses altogether. Read more from Adam Echelman.
- Escondido and ICE: After five hours of deliberation and 200 protestors showing up in opposition, the Escondido City Council decided to keep intact a contract the city made with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to share its police firing range. The city council argued that firearms training would help ICE operate more safely, and that nixing the contract would draw the ire of the Trump administration. Read more from Deborah Brennan.
And lastly: Catch up on our justice panel
On Wednesday CalMatters’ Joe Garcia, a formerly incarcerated journalist, moderated a panel of experts who either helped provide justice to crime victims or shaped opportunities for incarcerated prisoners. As the state moves to direct more resources to rehabilitation programs, panelists discussed incentives for prisoners to pursue recovery and voters’ frustration with crime. Read more from CalMatters’ Adam Ashton and catch a replay of the event.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Bombshell reports by the Los Angeles Times about the Southern California wildfires show that L.A. Mayor Bass is ill-equipped to run the city, but it’s doubtful she will lose her job.
Ethnic studies help alleviate racial disparities, yet a 2021 law California passed to require ethnic studies in high schools has no funds for implementation nor any enforcement mechanism, writes Julia Barzizza, graduate student at UC Davis.
Other things worth your time:
Frustrated families sue the state to stop antisemitism in CA schools // EdSource
Sierra Nevada snowpack just 68% of normal, but water supplies OK, experts say // The Mercury News
Del Monte collapse leaves CA peach growers stranded // The Sacramento Bee
How to understand the surge of CA winery closures // San Francisco Chronicle
SF court clerks launch strike over staffing and case backlogs // KQED
Bay Area seals come down with bird flu, alarming CA researchers // San Francisco Chronicle
Edison will reduce executive bonuses as result of Eaton Fire // The New York Times
Proposed ballot measure that would heavily tax thousands of second homes in SD clears critical hurdle // The San Diego Union Tribune