Teaching Profession Photos

What It Felt Like to Be at the Los Angeles Teacher Strike: A Reporter’s Perspective

By Education Week Photo Staff — January 23, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Thousands of teachers rallied through downtown Los Angeles to demand higher pay, more support staff, and smaller classes.

UPDATED

Education Week reporter Catherine Gewertz and photographer Morgan Lieberman set out on a rainy day to cover the Los Angeles teacher strikes.

They started with a visit to Vine Street Elementary school, where classes were in session but attendance was down by more than half.

The old wooden classroom doors were closed and classical music played throughout the hallway. As Gewertz noted, it was certainly not a typical school day. Students were being herded between the auditorium, the library, and an indoor physical education class.

Principal Kurt Lowry hadn’t taught in 15 years, but was at the front of the auditorium leading a lesson on essay writing. A chilly breeze rushed in through the open doors in the auditorium, so students stayed bundled up in their jackets. In the library, Mr. Esperanza, a full time math specialist in the regional office, taught a crowd of students seated without accompanying desks. And yet there was a calmness about the situation.

From left, students Ayden Hernandez, Joshua Castro, Max Lopez, and Adonay Miranda participated in a classroom exercise held in the library at Vine Street Elementary while their teachers were on strike.

While the children inside Vine Street were cooperative and attentive, the scene outside was one Gewertz characterized as “boisterous.” Teachers were juggling umbrellas and picket signs. The rain fell down on a sea of red-clad strikers, while cars honked their horns in solidarity.

The next day, educators and supporters flooded downtown Los Angeles, and Gewertz followed along.

Ponchos and red T-shirts were seen outside Hollywood’s Vine Street Elementary School on the first day of the strike.

Strikers and supporters filled the streets and lined the tall rooftops. The whole place reverberated with a “Let’s do this!” energy, according to Gewertz.

But underneath the positivity and hopefulness that comes from a large group of people rallying together towards a common goal, there was anger. Teachers demanded that their schools be better staffed with nurses and counselors. They demanded smaller classes. Frustrations ran deep.

Strikers demanded more support staff, such as nurses and counselors, smaller class sizes, and a pay raise.

The sea of people was so tight that Gewertz said there was a moment she couldn’t reach into her pocket to retrieve her notebook.

The rally bolstered the determination of teachers, who continued striking until Tuesday, Jan. 22, when a deal was struck and most of their demands were met.

Clarification: This post has been updated to clarify Esperanza’s employment and the reporter’s description of the protest scenes.

A version of this article first appeared in the Full Frame blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession ‘You Can Lead Now’: Inside the NEA’s Plan to Engage New Teachers
In an aging workforce, the nation's largest teachers' union seeks ways to engage younger educators.
3 min read
Em DePriest of Kansas speaks on behalf of a proposal to create an early career teacher working group. Members of the National Education Association's Aspiring Educators Program move to bring an initiative to a vote during the NEA Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025.
Em DePriest, a teacher in Kansas, speaks in favor of a proposal to create an early-career teacher working group. Members of the National Education Association's Aspiring Educators program moved to bring the initiative to a vote during the NEA representative assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Can the National Education Association Win Over Republican Members?
Union leaders seek common ground with conservative teachers while managing an active, mostly liberal membership.
5 min read
The National Education Association's Republic Educators Caucus tabled at the NEA Representative Assembly on July 4, 2025, in Portland, Ore
The National Education Association's Republic Educators Caucus had a table at the NEA representative assembly on July 4, 2025, in Portland, Ore. The national teachers' union has been working to engage conservative teachers and communities.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Teachers Face New Burdens After Supreme Court LGBTQ+ Opt-Out Ruling
A Supreme Court ruling allowing parents to opt their children out of certain lessons could add new challenges for teachers.
6 min read
Demonstrators are seen outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in the case of Mahmoud v. Taylor on April 22, 2025. The case contends that forcing students to participate in LGBTQ+ learning material violates First Amendment rights to exercise religious beliefs.
Demonstrators are seen outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in the case of <i>Mahmoud</i> v. <i>Taylor</i> on April 22, 2025. The justices ruled that parents can exercise their religious right to have their children excused from LGBTQ-themed lessons, which has prompted new logistical and practical concerns among teachers.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP
Teaching Profession Fewer Teachers Plan to Quit, But Pay and Burnout Are Still Major Issues
Teachers still feel overworked and underpaid, but some signs suggest things may be slowly improving.
4 min read
A second grader shares a story he wrote with a teacher.
A second grader shares a story he wrote with a teacher. This year, 16% of teachers reported an intent to leave the classroom, down from 22% last year.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed