PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release October 1, 2013
SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Courtni Pugh issued the following statement on today’s meeting of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education:
“Today, the Los Angeles Unified School Board demonstrated a solid commitment to helping students succeed by acknowledging the need to take a holistic approach to education, an approach that recognizes the realities in our communities during this economic crisis and creates a space to address the needs of the whole child.”
“As the District looks to rebuild our schools after years of devastating cuts, we are encouraged by the Board’s inclusion of our communities in decisions about the Local Control Funding Formula and its acknowledgement that our communities play a crucial role in student success. Through the Local Control Funding Formula and OASIS (Optimizing Access to Services, Inspiring Success) Schools, we have an incredible opportunity to work together to create stronger learning environments inside and outside the classroom.”
“We are proud of the leading role SEIU Local 99 will play in establishing OASIS Schools. The OASIS Schools framework presented at today’s Board meeting was developed with our neighborhood children and families in mind. As District employees, we are painfully aware that far too many students arrive at school each day already overwhelmed by hunger, illness, homelessness, or a broken family life. And as parents of LAUSD students, we know that tackling these difficult issues and improving our children’s futures requires that we reach out beyond our classrooms and campuses and into our communities for collaboration and support.”
“The OASIS model will not only bring academic, health, nutrition, social, and other support services directly to students who need them most, it will help provide economic stability to our local communities by expanding good jobs in our schools. It is a win-win situation for school workers and the students we serve – further proving that increasing good jobs and transforming schools are not mutually exclusive.”
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SEIU Local 99 is a union of nearly 45,000 education workers in K-12 schools, early education centers and homes, administrative offices, and community colleges throughout Southern California, including nearly 30,000 cafeteria workers, teacher aides, custodians, bus drivers and others providing essential student services at LAUSD schools. Nearly 50% of SEIU Local 99 members are also parents or guardians of school-age children.
