Smaller class sizes as important as pay hikes

The article “L.A. Unified Teachers to Get Salary Hike of 2%” (Nov. 23) cited the recent agreement in which “teachers will receive a 2.5% pay increase, in addition to a 2% raise they received earlier this year.” It makes it sound like we got two raises in one year.

In reality, the 2% raise last year was for the previous year’s contract revision; it just took so long for the district to move from a 0% offer to something close to a cost-of-living increase that it wasn’t agreed upon until earlier this year. These two annual raises will almost keep up with inflation.

I am at least as excited about the possibility of class-size reduction. As a high school history teacher, I have five classes and 170 students, and I work at least 50 hours a week to try to stay on top of it. Can you imagine what it is like to assess the daily work produced by this number of students?

Smaller class sizes might keep teachers from burning out and leaving the profession. A cost-of-living increase helps me stay afloat, but class-size reductions would be a real “bonus” for my students and me.

DEBORAH ROBBINS

Los Angeles