OPEN LETTER TO THE ALLIANCE COLLEGE READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, EDUCATORS, PARENTS AND THE GREATER LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY

As clergy in the Los Angeles community we are deeply committed to quality public education for the children of our city.

We unequivocally support the right of professional educators at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools to organize a union.

In a city profoundly impacted by economic and racial inequality our public schools challenge these injustices by providing the best education possible for our youth, ensuring opportunity for all.

As the largest charter operator in Los Angeles with over 11,000 students and 26 schools, Alliance has a major role in addressing this challenge. 

Much of Alliance’s success is attributable to the team of committed and accomplished teachers at the Alliance schools.  Good teachers and school counselors play a central role in the success of a school, yet their ability to provide quality education depends on the support and resources that they receive to do their job.   Teachers require a collaborative working environment that encourages them to bring their skills and passions to bear on the intellectual and social growth of our children.

Alliance teachers have stated that they believe joining the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) will assure their ability to deliver the education our students and their parents deserve.  They want to have a collective voice in order to be more effective advocates for our children, with confidence that their voice will be heard, their jobs secure.   

They want an environment which provides for genuine due process for professional educators to assure that Alliance can attract and retain the best teachers available.

We are calling on you to listen to your teachers and to respect their fundamental right to organize a union.

We ask you to give them the space and opportunity to do so without management coercion, influence, or interference, and come to an agreement with Alliance teachers for a fair and neutral process to organize their union. 

We encourage you to welcome this effort as a sign of the commitment of the teachers to their students, schools and their profession.

Every faith tradition affirms the central role of educating our youth, and many cultures venerate teachers as the architects of future generations.  It is in that spirit that we stand ready to assist in any way in this process. Please feel free to contact us.