SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better Lives“Most summers, I don’t have a paycheck,” says L.A. schools special education assistant.Gloria Leonardo grew up in a family of teachers. Her aunts and uncles inspired her to become a teacher. She taught high school Physics in…Aug 9, 2017Aug 9, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better Lives“How can I leave the job I love?”When Kat Hamm was in preschool, she’d come home from school, line up her grandmother’s potted plants on the steps leading up to the front…Jul 25, 2017Jul 25, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better Lives“I don’t know what I’d do without Obamacare.”Eleven years ago, I learned I have a health condition that requires close monitoring and medication. If you have reliable health insurance…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better LivesStretched too thin in Special EducationWillie Murray has a gift for calming children down — and he puts it to good use every day as a Special Education Assistant at 99th Street…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better Lives“It really helps that I’m bilingual.”Maria Preciado is an elementary school Teacher’s Assistant in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. She’s worked for the Los Angeles Unified…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better LivesCooking Up a New Cafeteria Culture.Margaret Williams has always loved to cook. Her passion grew out of watching her mom do things like whip up a quick cake when folks stopped…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better Lives“Why was he carrying all those clothes?”A few weeks ago, Lynneier Boyd-Peterson watched a boy get on her school bus carrying a travel bag filled with clothes. Then she saw him do…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better LivesEsmeralda’s dedication to children…and her cruel summer.“Dreaming isn’t expensive. It costs the same to dream big as it does to dream small,” Special Education Assistant Esmeralda Torres tells…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better Lives“A sick child wiped out our savings.”Before Los Angeles Unified School District Teacher’s Assistant Lizbeth Parra and her husband Mario learned that their son had leukemia…Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017
SEIU Local 99inQuality Schools, Better LivesIt’s all about the diversity.When a family loses a mother, they lose their way for a while. That’s what happened to Silvia Ruiz and her family in Mexico.Jul 20, 2017Jul 20, 2017