L.A. teachers' strike: Who is winning, and when will it end?

LOS ANGELES — After days of rallies and picket lines, Los Angeles' striking teachers will now see whether they can maintain the momentum for a second week.

That is, if they need to. Union negotiators were meeting with the Los Angeles Unified School District on Monday. Even if the two groups reach a tentative deal, the union said teachers won't return to work the next day. First, they'll vote on whether to ratify the agreement.

Already, teachers have made their point. The union, United Teachers Los Angeles, was picking up support from celebrities and Democratic politicians as it faced off against the district. Attendance fell dramatically in the first week of the walkout, as many parents were reluctant to send their students to school while their teachers picketed.

Here are some key questions and answers about the strike so far:

When will it end?

Talks reopened Thursday for the first time since the strike began Monday, Jan. 14. Negotiators worked into the night and resumed at 11 a.m. PST Friday and met again over the three-day weekend.

Both sides are feeling the pressure. Teachers braved four days of rain on the picket line and risk losing a week of pay. The district saw attendance plummet and with it, the money it receives from the state, which is based on how many kids show up in class.

"There is essentially a (news) blackout at the negotiation table. That’s always a good sign," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. It shows both sides are serious about reaching a deal.

When will teachers feel pressure?

The district's 34,000 teachers are paid monthly. Barring an agreement for back pay from the district, the paycheck teachers are due to receive Feb. 5 would reflect the days they missed work due to the strike.

If the strike drags on for weeks, teachers could face more dire consequences. They only qualify for a year of service, which counts toward their pension, if they work at least 100 full-time days in a school year.

When will the district feel the heat?

The pressure is already on.

After rising on the second day, student attendance figures fell drastically Thursday and Friday into the mid-80,000s. The district has about 600,000 students enrolled in its traditional and charter schools.

For the week, the district lost $125 million in state funding based on low attendance, though it would recoup about $50 million of it by not having to pay salaries to the teachers and other UTLA members.

Who is winning?

In the eyes of the public, the edge would appear to go to the teachers. A survey found a strong majority of Los Angeles County residents said they back striking teachers.

More than half of those responding said they “strongly support” the teachers, found the poll by the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. Another 24 percent “somewhat support” the strike.

USA TODAY poll: Even when teachers strike, Americans give them high grades, poll shows. Unions fare worse.

What are the national implications?

The strike may involve local issues such as classroom sizes and the number of school nurses. But it has attracted nationwide attention and the endorsement of a host of prospective Democratic presidential hopefuls, from U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren to Kamala Harris.

Public support for the strike vindicates teachers who went on strike last year in West Virginia, Arizona and elsewhere, Weingarten said.

"What has happened this week in Los Angeles ... has shifted the conversation back to where it should be, which is: 'What do we need to do to help students succeed in neighborhood public schools?' " she said.

What will it take to end the strike?

Money — and it may have to come from outside the district. Superintendent Austin Beutner acknowledges the district has nearly $2 billion in reserves. He says he can't tap it for higher salaries or to meet teachers' other key demands, because the bankroll is already committed. If that's true, the union either must buckle, or the money will have to come from somewhere else.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors set the pace by chipping in $10 million for more mental health counselors this week. The district and union are likely to be trying to find a way to find more money elsewhere, perhaps at the state level or perhaps by endorsing a local tax hike.

How do parents and students feel?

Frustrated. Many parents kept their children home during the week because they wanted to show support for teachers by not crossing a picket line. They missed work or took their kids to the office.

Some working parents had no choice to but to drop their kids off at school. When they did, short-staffed schools were unable to conduct any real lesson plans. Valuable days of education are being lost.

More: Homeless kids lose their island of stability during the Los Angeles teachers' strike

More: What happens to the 62,500 students with special needs during L.A. teachers' strike?

Evelyn Aleman and Joe Macias, public relations executives who have a daughter at an LAUSD high school, say the two sides need to work it out.

Both were teacher aides during the 1989 strike, and they saw the damage done.

"We want more resources for kids in school. But the question my husband and I have now: ... 'Is there a better way to reach an agreement other than a strike that doesn’t have such an immediate and negative effect?' " Aleman said. "Everyone is pointing the finger when we should be working together."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: L.A. teachers' strike: Who is winning, and when will it end?