Garcetti throws support behind striking Los Angeles teachers: ‘I am proud of our teachers’

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) shared his support on Tuesday for the city’s teachers as tens of thousands of school staff took part in a strike.

“I am proud of our teachers, and awed by their courage to stand strong for excellent schools and opportunities for our kids,” Garcetti tweeted. “Investing in young people shows that we believe in them and their future.”

I am proud of our teachers, and awed by their courage to stand strong for excellent schools and opportunities for our kids. Investing in young people shows that we believe in them and their future. pic.twitter.com/jlwMvdHS7r

— Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) January 15, 2019

{mosads}Roughly 30,000 teachers and other school staff were expected to participate in a second day of a strike on Tuesday, demanding better pay, improved conditions and increased staffing in the city’s schools.

The district has offered a 6 percent pay hike with back pay and a $100 million investment to hire more staff and decrease class sizes, Reuters reported.

The Los Angeles school district is the second largest in the country, with 64,000 students.

Students in the district, the nation’s second largest, will be taught by 400 substitute teachers and 2,000 reassigned administrators during the strike, according to local media.

Preschools in the district will be closed, and early education centers will only be open for special-needs students.

The strike has raised new problems for Garcetti, who is said to be considering a presidential campaign in 2020.