LA County

More Than 200 Compton School Teachers Call in Sick

More than 200 Compton Unified School District teachers called in sick Monday as contract negotiations continued between the teachers and the district.

School Board Vice-President Micah Ali said 207 teachers, including 44 who teach at Compton High, called in sick. The other schools included Bursch Elementary, Kelly Elementary and Centennial High.

"It is unfortunate that these teachers chose to miss work today in relation to what appears to be their dissatisfaction with negotiations between the District and Compton Educators Association," said Superintendent Darin Brawley in a statement.

Brawley said the district had anticipated the alleged sick-out and prepared to send more staff to the schools. The district called in substitutes and administrators from different departments to keep an eye on students.

Ali said the district would go bankrupt if the district went along with a proposal to increase teachers' wages.

Monday marks the third time in the last two years that Compton's teachers have been accused of calling a sick-out - a day when workers agree to call out sick as a form of protest.

"It's not a coincidence," said one parent on Monday. "The first time I came to enroll my daughter there was no teachers, there was almost all substitutes. My daughter has been here for three months. The school is not organized and teachers seem like they don't care about the students."

The teachers' union has not returned messages seeking comment.

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