LAist

Los Angeles Unified special education teachers and parents are bracing for another year of large classes when the new school year begins, despite a first-ever limit the union negotiated this spring. With booming special education enrollment, teachers say the district needs to hire more full-time staff to ensure tens of thousands of students receive the extra support they need — and are legally entitled to — every day. Under the new contract ratified by UTLA, resource services teachers are limited to supporting 20 students each in integrated classes, which include both special and general education students. Resource services teachers are assigned to students and collaborate with other teachers to support them. Classrooms with only special education students have different ratios, and those teachers qualify for a monthly stipend of $500 to $1,000, depending on how many students they have over the limit.