Los Angeles Unified to move forward with changes to instructional calendar

The Los Angeles Unified school board unanimously voted Tuesday to move the district’s additional acceleration days to school breaks, despite pushback from one of its labor partners. The new plan to shift the acceleration days comes after pressure from the teacher’s union to reconsider its plans.

Under the changes, the acceleration days will take place the first two days of both winter and spring breaks, and the school year will end four days earlier. The optional days were originally meant to take place on four Wednesdays throughout the school year as a way to provide extra support to students in light of the pandemic’s toll on learning. The first one was scheduled for next week.

Some board members were reluctant in their decision to support the change in dates, acknowledging SEIU Local 99’s concerns about not being considered in the decision making and how the change would impact its members.

SEIU Local 99 estimated last week that nearly half of their members would not be available to work the acceleration days if moved because of prior commitments.

“They’re right about getting the short end of the stick. They’re right about standing with this district and about trying to be collaborative partners,” board member Nick Melvoin said at the board meeting. “But it’s also tough because on the other hand, our schools are not ready for an optional day in school next week.”

United Teachers Los Angeles initially surfaced frustration over the planned acceleration days in August when it filed a complaint, claiming that LAUSD had gone forward with the additional days without consulting with its labor partners. UTLA had planned to boycott the first day, calling the district’s plan a PR stunt.