In a new op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, United Teachers Los Angeles President Alex Caputo-Pearl writes that the standoff between the LA school district and UTLA is a struggle over the future of public education. Class sizes in LA often exceed 45 students, 80 percent of schools don’t have full-time nurses, and low teacher pay is hollowing out the district’s workforce amid a national teacher shortage. After 20 months of negotiations on these crucial issues, teachers may be forced to strike this week in order to secure the resources their students need.