蜜桃影视

On the first day of the Los Angeles teacher strike, the sights and sounds were loud and flashy: Teachers with picket signs at a thousand schools. Car horns honking their support. At least 20,000 people shouting and marching downtown. Reports on every newscast.

Under the radar were the parents of 140,000 students who crossed the picket lines to take their children to class 鈥� because they said they had no choice, because they thought their kids might be better off at school, might be safer, might be able to keep from falling behind in their schoolwork.

鈥業鈥檓 not sure if I鈥檓 doing the right thing鈥�

At Sunrise Elementary in East Los Angeles, some of the parents of the 120 students who attended school Monday kept their heads down to avoid eye contact with their teachers as they arrived. They protected their children from the rain, but also from a situation that some did not fully understand.

She lingered, looking toward the campus for support. One staff member had to assure her that her daughter would be fine. 鈥淲e will walk her to the classroom, don鈥檛 worry,鈥� the woman told her.

Another parent tried to be on both sides of the picket line. Mariana, who didn鈥檛 want to give her last name, said she was in support of the teachers but had to take her daughter to school.

After dropping off her daughter, she picked up a poster in one hand, balancing her baby girl and an umbrella in the other. She stood next to a woman who said she didn鈥檛 want to talk. Mariana was also hesitant to speak but explained that she鈥檚 just trying to do her best to help the teachers. 鈥淏ut apparently I鈥檓 not doing what I was supposed to do,鈥� because she had brought her daughter to school.

鈥淚 know I wasn鈥檛 supposed to take her, but I know she will be better in school. I don鈥檛 want her to have absences. But on the other hand, I want a nurse in the school and I want smaller class sizes, so I want to support the teachers in their demands,鈥� Mariana said in Spanish. 鈥淚 will be here with them for a little while.鈥�

For Juan Garcia, the strike was totally unexpected despite all the news coverage leading up to the teachers walking off the job.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know anything about it. He is my girlfriend鈥檚 son. She asked me to take him to school, so I鈥檓 just dropping him off. I didn鈥檛 know about the strike,鈥� he said.

Sunrise鈥檚 enrollment this year is 340 students, and school officials said about a third attended Monday. That was roughly the same percentage reported district-wide for the first day of the strike.听Attendance rose to 163,384 students on the second day of the strike, the district said, up from 143,993 students on Monday.听Total enrollment is about 480,000 in traditional K-12 schools.

鈥楳ami, let鈥檚 go back home鈥�

Cesia Cedillo said Tuesday that she felt bad for her fourth-grade son when they crossed the picket line at Roscoe Elementary in Sun Valley, in the east San Fernando Valley. 鈥淲hen he heard his teacher asking for support, he got sad and said, 鈥楳ami, let鈥檚 go back home.鈥� I had to explain he had to stay at least yesterday.鈥�

Cedillo said she is in full support of the teachers 鈥� 鈥淭hey do good things for our kids鈥� 鈥� but she鈥檚 also afraid about the consequences of parents not taking their children to school during the strike.

鈥淚鈥檓 worried that as a result of too many kids being absent from the programs after and before school, they may terminate them because there won鈥檛 be enough funds. I need the before-school program because it helps me get to my work on time because I can leave my son 10 to 15 minutes before school starts.鈥�

Cedillo was also concerned for other parents, like single moms at her school who rely on those programs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just me, but many other moms who will be affected if we lose those programs.鈥�

On Tuesday, the second day of the strike, she said she will go day by day. 鈥淭oday, I decided to keep him home, and tomorrow too, but I have a job, I won鈥檛 be able to keep up at this pace. I really hope they get to an agreement soon.鈥�

鈥業鈥檓 confused. I鈥檓 divided. I don鈥檛 know what I should do鈥�

Parents at charter schools that share the same school campus with district schools had been warned they may face disruption and hostility, though on the first day, none was reported.

Crown Preparatory Academy and 24th Street Elementary share the same entrance, where two school police officers were stationed Monday.

Then one of the teachers told her, 鈥淭alk to the reporter, tell her how you feel.鈥�

So she said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to talk because I鈥檓 confused. I鈥檓 divided. I don鈥檛 know what I should do. Teachers tell me one thing, the school staff tell me another thing, I hear other things in the media, I don鈥檛 know who I should believe. I am sad because of what鈥檚 happening. I hope this is over soon.鈥�

Juventino Vargas was waiting for his seventh-grader outside Crown Prep. 鈥淣ow everything looks calm, but I鈥檓 not sure if it would start affecting us.鈥� Then he paused. 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 already affecting us. We are here, standing far away from the entrance waiting for our kids because we don鈥檛 feel confident to get closer. We don鈥檛 want to get in the way of the teachers鈥� demonstration. We don鈥檛 want to get in trouble.鈥�

鈥業f it goes beyond three days, a week, I will be worried鈥�

Sandra Sanchez鈥檚 son attends Bryson Avenue Elementary in South Gate in Southeast L.A. She said she debated all last week about what she should do. Over the weekend she was still undecided, but on Monday after learning that the students would be supervised by just a few people in the school鈥檚 auditorium or cafeteria, she decided that 鈥渉aving my mom watch him was the best option.鈥�

鈥淚 will go day by day, depending on how things are developing and based on what I can hear from other parents鈥� experiences,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淚鈥檓 concerned. If it goes beyond three days, a week, I will be worried.鈥�

Sanchez said she believes the teachers are fighting for better conditions in schools for students and she appreciates that. 鈥淚 will try to go to support them on the picket line after school.鈥�

The downside of the strike for Sanchez is that her son will miss school for the first time this year.

鈥淗e was having perfect attendance this year, so he鈥檚 losing that. But in the end, I think it is for a good cause.鈥� She added, 鈥淲hat I鈥檓 really grateful about is that my son鈥檚 teacher gave her students homework to be working on during the strike. He鈥檚 been busy working on it.鈥�

Parents鈥� fears about attendance

Attendance has been one of the main concerns among parents.

L.A. Unified鈥檚 Chief Academic Officer Frances Gipson, who taught several classes at El Sereno Middle School on Monday, said that seniors鈥� absences during the strike wouldn鈥檛 keep them from graduating. 鈥淲e are making clear for our families that we will be very flexible. It won鈥檛 be a challenge for graduation.鈥�

In response to parents鈥� questions about absences, the district听听late Tuesday,听鈥淲hile state law does not excuse absences in case of a strike and students are expected to attend class, principals will work with students and families on attendance.听At the moment, schools听will not be听notifying parents of听absences,听but will continue to monitor student attendance and provide support to students on an individual basis.鈥�

Pia Escudero, the district鈥檚 executive director of student health and human services,听told Univision on Wednesday that absences during the strike will not affect students with perfect attendance and that they will still receive their recognitions once classes resume.

Virginia Justice, a parent in the San Fernando Valley, said her fourth-grade son鈥檚 safety was her primary concern, more than facing consequences for his absences. He attends Stonehurst Elementary, an L.A. Unified magnet school in Sun Valley.

She decided not to send her son to school because she said he wouldn鈥檛 be learning anything 鈥� and because 鈥渋t wouldn鈥檛 be safe for him to be in a school while only a few people will be watching dozens of students.鈥�

She had two children of neighbors and friends at home with her as well.

鈥淚 committed to taking care of them for the whole week if the strike continues. My husband and I both work from home, so we thought we could support other parents that must go out to work by taking care of their children,鈥� Justice said. 鈥淚 decided to keep my son home because I am in full support of the teachers and I prefer to have him home than in an auditorium learning nothing.鈥�

听鈥業鈥檓 just disappointed鈥�

Cecilia Posada鈥檚 main concern during the strike was that her three children would miss out on instruction, so she said it was an easy decision for her to send them to school Monday. Two of them attend Roscoe Elementary, the other Stonehurst. She said Roscoe鈥檚 principal told parents that the students would continue their regular classroom instruction and that they should be at school learning.

But Posada said that did not happen Monday. Her kids told her they just watched movies and did some physical activities. Now, she said she鈥檚 worried they won鈥檛 be learning and they will not be safe. So she kept two at home on Tuesday. But the other wanted to go to school.

鈥淢y son with special needs was mixed with other students, not only special ed students, and he needs special support. I cannot continue sending him to school if that鈥檚 the case. I don鈥檛 even know the people who are watching them. I have never seen them before. I鈥檓 just disappointed,鈥� Posada said.

鈥淚t is sad because he loves going to school. Today, he was crying because he wanted to be there. But I鈥檓 afraid he鈥檚 not safe. Tomorrow, I will take him with me to the picket line to support the teachers,鈥� she said. 鈥淭eachers are on strike because they need more support to serve our kids better. I hope the district gives them what they ask and this can be over soon.鈥�

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