UTLA The streets of Los Angeles are packed with the sights and sounds of collective action this week. Braving the cold rain, some 30,000 United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) members turned out for picket lines across the city yesterday, joined by more than 10,000 parents, students and community members. Every L.A. school site—more than 900—participated in the strike, culminating in a 50,000-person march to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD’s) headquarters. Teachers and their allies aren’t letting up. From the leaders of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and California Labor Federation to working people across the country, the entire labor movement is showing solidarity with UTLA’s fight for better lives, schools and communities. Here are just a few of the realities they’re working to change: The cost of living has increased 27% since 2008. California’s student-to-teacher ratio ranks 48 out of 50 states. Students in transitional kindergarten to sixth grade take more than 100 standardized LAUSD tests. California is the richest state in the nation, yet ranks 43 out of 50 in per-pupil spending. California’s student-to-counselor ratio is 945:1. L.A.’s charter school industry has grown by 287% since 2008, draining nearly $600 million from public schools each year. Take action today and tell Superintendent Austin Beutner to meet the demands of Los Angeles teachers, parents and students. Sections Political Action