Los Angeles teachers end week-long strike after reaching 'historic agreement'

LOS ANGELES —The Los Angeles teachers' union ended its week-long strike Tuesday night, union leaders said, overwhelmingly supporting an agreement with the nation's second-largest school district.

Teachers will return to 900 Los Angeles Unified School District public schools on Wednesday, restoring a sense of normalcy for about 500,000 students. 

Although the union will finish counting votes tomorrow, union president Alex Caputo-Pearl said the vast supermajority approved the settlement reached Tuesday morning. The strike began on Jan. 14, with teachers calling for smaller class sizes, raises and more school nurses and counselors. 

"This is a historic agreement," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said earlier in the day. "It's time for a new day in public education in Los Angeles."

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As Los Angeles teachers prepared to return to the classroom, teachers in Denver voted to strike by a 93 percent vote, The Denver Post reported. Teachers can walk out as early as Monday, the Post reported, marking the union's first strike in 25 years. 

“I was hoping and praying it wouldn’t come to this,” teacher Nik Arnoldi told The Post after voting for the strike. “I’m worried for my kids, and I hope they’re in good hands, but we need to do this for them.”

The Los Angeles agreement includes class size reductions in all grade levels, 300 additional school nurses, 80 new teacher librarians, one counselor for every 500 students and a 3 percent raise for teachers, Caputo-Pearl said during a Tuesday night press conference

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