Newly disclosed LAUSD documents show district financial analysts warned that approving large pay raises at union request would create an unsustainable budget, yet the board approved the raises and the district now faces the predicted fiscal strain. Academic outcomes lag: fewer than half of LAUSD students meet California's English Language Arts standards. The author calls on parents to demand transparency and accountability at the ballot box and highlights candidates advocating educational reform.
Parents: Hold Failing School Leaders Accountable At The Ballot Box
LAUSD board members defended their decision to approve $1.2 billion in labor contracts despite warnings days prior from the
Each morning parents send their children to school trusting that the adults running those schools will put students first. Newly disclosed internal documents raise serious doubts about whether that trust is justified in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Internal Warnings Ignored
Reporting by The California Post shows that LAUSD financial analysts warned district leaders that approving large employee pay increases at the direction of unions would put the district on an unsustainable fiscal path. Despite those cautions, the school board approved the raises, and the district now faces the very budget pressures its own experts predicted.
"Bowing to union demands and approving substantial pay raises could push the district into unsustainable fiscal territory," the financial analysis warned.
Why This Matters
This is not just a budget story — it is a leadership and priority story. Every dollar a district spends should advance a single mission: delivering the best possible education to students. When decision-makers disregard their finance teams, the consequences are concrete: program reductions, larger class sizes, unstable budgets and fewer opportunities for students.
LAUSD's own financial experts warned district leaders that bowing to union demands and approving substantial employee pay raises would put the district on an unsustainable financial path. Jonathan Alcorn For CA Post
The academic data underscore the stakes. Fewer than half of LAUSD students meet California's English Language Arts proficiency standards, and too many young people leave public schools without the skills they need to thrive.
Parents Are Primary Stakeholders
Parents are not passive observers. As taxpayers and the people who entrust our children to these classrooms, we have the right — and the responsibility — to demand transparency, measurable outcomes and leadership that puts students ahead of politics.
Holding districts, administrators and teachers’ unions accountable is not anti‑teacher. Most teachers work hard under difficult conditions. Accountability means evaluating decisions by this one question: Does this improve outcomes for students?
The board ignored warnings, and raises were approved anyway. AFP via Getty Images
Election as a Moment for Change
If voters want different results, they must make different choices at the ballot box. The upcoming elections present an opportunity to elect leaders who will challenge the status quo instead of protecting it. State superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw focuses her campaign on restoring accountability in public education and empowering parents. Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton promotes a broader platform of government accountability and support for working families. The author states no affiliation with either campaign.
Imagine a leadership team committed to transparency, accountability and student‑centered decisions. This election could be the start of pulling California and districts like LAUSD out of a long stretch of declining academic performance and fiscal mismanagement.
Our children deserve schools that prepare them for success — not systems that accept mediocrity. They deserve leaders who listen to experts, provide clear data, and give parents the tools to hold them accountable.
Shirin Yadegar is the founder of www.lamommagazine.com and a political commentator.
Help us improve.
