Hundreds of Teachers Lost Homes in the L.A. Fires

In the past week, devastating wildfires have left hundreds of public schoolteachers in Southern California without homes. While many are urgently seeking shelter, they are also eager to return to their classrooms to restore a sense of normalcy for both their students and themselves.https://wordpress.com/

In the Pasadena Unified School District, where the Eaton fire has claimed at least 16 lives and destroyed thousands of structures, approximately 300 employees lost their homes, according to Jonathan Gardner, president of United Teachers of Pasadena. The district, which employs around 1,500 staff members, has been significantly impacted.

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Palisades fire wiped out entire neighborhoods. Nearly 150 teachers and staff members have lost their homes, with hundreds more displaced. Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, noted that the number is likely to grow.

The wildfires have also affected many students, displacing families and causing disruptions that could last for the rest of the school year. This upheaval may even lead to declining enrollment, Gardner warned.

“There won’t be anything close to normal for the remainder of the semester,” he said.

While schools in Pasadena remain closed this week, most in Los Angeles reopened on Monday. Two elementary schools destroyed by the Palisades fire will temporarily relocate their students and teachers to nearby campuses later this week.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles district stated that over 300 employees reside in areas under mandatory evacuation orders. Teachers displaced by the fires have been given the week off.

Rebecca Mitsuse, 57, a middle school science and English teacher, lost her Altadena home in the Eaton fire. She is currently searching for housing for herself, her husband, and their teenage son, hoping to return to teaching next week.

“Life has to move forward,” she said, despite mourning the loss of irreplaceable items, including cherished teaching materials and a heartfelt note from a student during her first challenging year as a teacher.

Another teacher, LoriAnne Denne, 66, also lost her home in Altadena. She and her husband are staying with her brother, but she described the process of filing insurance claims and seeking assistance as overwhelming.

“Everything feels urgent, yet it’s impossible to manage without a home,” she said.

The cost of temporary housing has become a significant concern for many teachers, especially in Los Angeles, where housing affordability is already a challenge. Gardner explained that about half of Pasadena school employees live within the district, allowing them to engage deeply with extracurricular activities. However, the damage caused by the Eaton fire has disrupted this dynamic, potentially diminishing the vibrancy of after-school programs.

“For those who can’t find housing nearby, schools will lose some of the unique spirit created by these activities,” Gardner said.

Scott Mandel, 68, a veteran teacher in the Los Angeles district, has spent recent days reaching out to colleagues who lost their homes. He likened the scale of devastation to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, though the fires have caused far greater damage to teachers’ residences.

For Ms. Mitsuse, the reopening of her school represents a chance to regain a sense of routine. In the meantime, her students can rely on her teaching partner, who was fortunate to escape damage despite the fire approaching his neighborhood.