This week saw the end of the first charter school strike in California. A group of 80 teachers from the charter school network known as Accelerated Schools, organized under United Teachers Los Angeles, demanded job stability and an end to dismissal without the right to arbitration. The agreements reached include better health insurance and a severance package for teachers. Forty percent of teachers were dismissed or resigned last year, affecting educational quality, says German Gallardo, a history teacher who was an observer in the negotiations. Los Angeles County has 300 publicly funded but privately run charter schools, more than anywhere else in the country. This week, the L.A. Unified School District agreed to cease charter school expansion and discuss ways to raise school performance among local students.
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