Little Lake Teachers Picket Trustees' Homes

Teachers in the Little Lake City School District spent a fifth day on strike Tuesday and picketed outside two school board members’ homes in Norwalk. (whittierdailynews.com) About 40 teachers, students and community members from Jersey Avenue Elementary protested outside the homes of board President Jasmine Sanchez and Vice President Hilda Zamora, after 15 hours of bargaining Monday ended without a deal. (whittierdailynews.com) The strike began Thursday, April 16, after months of contract talks over health coverage, class sizes and special education staffing. The Little Lake Education Association says some educators could be forced to pay as much as $1,400 a month under midyear health plan changes. (abc7.com) Little Lake is a K-8 district serving parts of Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk and Downey through seven elementary schools and two middle schools. State data lists 3,354 students in 2025-26, and local news reports have put the district near 3,500 to 3,700 students. (cde.ca.gov) (abc7.com) The walkout is the district’s first teacher strike in roughly 150 years, according to local coverage. Union members authorized it with a 94% vote before picket lines went up last week. (aol.com) (foxla.com) Teachers say the dispute is about more than premiums. Union leaders have also demanded smaller class sizes and more support for special education programs, while accusing the district of spending too much on outside contractors and substitutes. (foxla.com) (abc7.com) Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez has said the district cannot keep fully funding health benefits because enrollment declines have drained reserves. He has said the district is trying to balance employee compensation, student services and the reserve levels California requires districts to maintain. (edsource.org) (abc7.com) The district has kept campuses open during the strike on supervised minimum-day schedules, and earlier authorized substitute teachers at $500 a day. Union officials have also filed an unfair labor practice charge and started a recall push against all five trustees. (abc7.com) (foxla.com) (mynewsla.com) No new bargaining sessions had been scheduled as of Tuesday night, leaving Norwalk-area classrooms and the board members’ neighborhoods as the latest front lines in a contract fight with no end date. (whittierdailynews.com)