Today marks five days that El Camino Real (ECR) Charter High School management and board have failed their students, parents, educators and school community.

Instead of prioritizing their students and school, management forced more than 130 ECR United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) members out of their classrooms and onto picket lines all week, in the rain, to fight for the school they believe in and their students deserve. Educators are shocked at the lack of concern by ECR’s management and board of directors.

“I think it’s a shame that they put their own self-interest ahead of the students,” said social studies teacher Nicholas Schuler. “They’d rather have empty classrooms and kids wandering around than gaining an education, and I just find it shameful.”

Members and supporters cheered the ECR UTLA Bargaining Team this morning as they headed back to the table for the first time since the strike started on Monday – management claimed they couldn’t meet any earlier because their attorneys were unavailable, and only for two hours today, reportedly.

After a failed mediation process and working without a contract since July 2024, more than 135 members of ECR-UTLA hit the picket lines Monday morning in a fight for the school, support and resources their students deserve. ECR’s school board and administration continues to fail students and the school community, who are crying out for leadership, respect and support for the educators who make ECR a special place.

“My message to management on the fifth day of our strike is: ‘your teachers are still fighting and we want to see a fair contract,’” said science teacher Daniel Zatarian. “We want to get back to our classes. Once we get a fair contract, we’re ready to go back.”

Teaching and learning conditions continue to be an issue at ECR — there were more students per teacher at the school than any other similar size charter high school in the San Fernando Valley in the 2023-24 school year, and the school’s average student-to-teacher ratio is 20 percent higher than comparable schools. Despite this understaffing, the ECR board recently approved potential cuts of 44 credentialed educator positions, including nine in special education – while approving a retroactive raise for administrators at the same meeting.

Take action to support ECR educators by sending a letter to the ECR Board of Directors and calling on them to settle a fair contract and end this strike now. Union educators say they’re committed to being out on the picket line until a deal is reached.