The Los Angeles teachers union decided not to sign on to the school district's application for grant money from the federal government. The grant would have provided the district $40 million as part of the Race to the Top competition. The district said that the money could have provided services and some additional jobs. The terms of the grant require the support of the teachers' union. The teachers' union said that their reservations stemmed from the total cost of the district's plan, which was more than the grant. They said that the plans could have led to cutbacks in other areas that are just as important. California was not one of the states to win Race to the Top funding in the national competition.
See "L.A. schools fail to gain union backing for grant application", Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2012