Schools Turn Baby-Sitters as Teachers Take a Walk

Normal classroom routines were suspended in most of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 618 schools today as teachers staged a one-day walkout to protest the district’s salary offer.

Early reports from union officials indicated that 90% of the union’s 20,000 members boycotted their schools and were joined by a substantial number of nonmembers. The district has 26,000 regular classroom teachers.

District spokesman Bill Rivera said pupil absences appeared to be running at about 55%--substantially higher than normal. At the elementary schools, he said, the absentee rate was lower, about 15%.

Among teachers, Rivera said early indications showed that about 70% of high school teachers and about 50% of elementary teachers did not report to work today.

Open for Full Day

The district nonetheless kept all schools open for a full day, staffed by administrators, substitutes, aides and parent volunteers, although for most students the day was minimal. Rivera said most schools planned group activities for the students who showed up, such as movies in the auditorium or study halls.

Officials said that many students, particularly in the high schools, became bored by the group activities and went home early.

At Belmont High School near downtown, Principal John Howard said he had 13 teachers and 21 administrators to supervise the 2,000 students who came to school. Aides greeted the students at the main door, directing 12th graders to the cafeteria and 9th, 10th and 11th graders to the auditorium. The 13 teachers who reported to work would hold classes, but Howard said the majority of students would be shown movies with anti-drug themes and other educational films.

‘Baby-sitting Operation’

“It’s a baby-sitting operation,” he said.

Outside the school, a festive atmosphere reigned. With samba music from a portable stereo as background, about 60 teachers walked a picket line, carrying signs that read “Scrooge Lives at the Board of Education” and “The Door of Education is Opened by Teachers, Not Locksmiths.”

The latter sign was a reference to a recent article in a district newsletter about a district locksmith who earned $31,000 a year. The article incensed teachers, who earn from $20,600 to $37,500.

The teachers are asking for a 10% to 14% raise. Publicly, the most the district has offered is 7%, but district officials said that informal offers have gone somewhat higher. The teachers are working under a three-year contract that runs to 1988 but allows renegotiation each year of pay and other issues. Negotiations began last June, broke off in December and resumed two weeks ago.