A FORUM FOR COMMUNITY ISSUES : Platform : L.A. Teachers: ‘I Don’t Want Them to Strike’

SARAH WARREN, A junior, Sarah, 16, attends El Camino High School in Woodland Hills. She is student body treasurer.

Academically, I’m worried that I won’t have such a great year because my teachers are going to strike. What am I going to do? I’m in the honors program, and without a teacher in honors English to prepare me for advanced placement next year, that will be difficult. I’m taking Algebra II. If I want to go on to higher math courses, well, the weaker my bases, how am I going to do harder work?

I understand the teachers’ point, but I don’t really want them to strike. If they feel they have to, I think they do have to strike. (I support them) because if it was happening to me, I’d want everybody to support me, too. For the job they have to do, they’re not paid enough. They’re not given enough respect. Being a teacher should be a respectable position.

Some of the teachers are really behind us. One has given us a research project and expects us to turn it in (even if there is a strike). So the teachers aren’t the bad guys.