Ongoing negotiations between the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) have resulted in an agreement to provide $10,000 stipends that pay for a mentor teacher at 37 highly-challenged schools.

The expert educators qualify for funding over the next three school years at campuses included in the Reed case court settlement. The goal is to reduce high teacher turnover, large dropout rates and low standardized-test scores.

“This additional investment will help the youth at these schools by improving the instructional program,” Superintendent John Deasy said. “Mentor teachers will share their expertise broadly beginning with the new school year and continuing through the 2016-17 school year.”

To help them develop their skills, new teachers will receive extra time to work with mentor teachers. At the Reed schools, all teachers will participate in additional professional development. The court settlement requires the additional support, and also eliminates teacher layoffs based on seniority.

As the superintendent thanked members of UTLA, the union representing teachers, Deasy also said, “We look forward to additional agreements.”

The compromise does not affect the full contract, the main collective bargaining agreement the two sides have been meeting to resolve. Negotiations on a new contract between the district and the teachers’ union were expected to continue, with the next bargaining session scheduled for Aug. 21.

RFK Community Schools – New World Academy is among the local Reed schools.