Update: Seattle teachers approve new contract; school starts tomorrow

(Scroll down for latest updates – contract ratified; reaction coming in …)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:36 PM: We’re watching news from the Seattle Education Association membership meeting downtown and will update here as it comes in. They’ve just updated via Facebook/Twitter that “Debate on the certificated staff contract has started” as of a few minutes ago – that means the teachers. Two smaller workgroups’ contracts were approved, according to SEA, by voice vote. Updates to come – and we’re embedding the union (and other key sources’) tweets here so you can follow along.

Tweets from @westseattleblog/seattle-teachers-vote

(Refresh the WSB home page to make sure you’re seeing the newest tweets.)

8:04 PM UPDATE: As you can see in the tweetstream above, the union says all contracts have been ratified. (Post-vote tweets continue, as the stream remains “live.”)

8:14 PM: Quick statement e-mailed to news media by district Superintendent José Banda:

I want to thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication in negotiating this agreement. I appreciate each and every one of our staff members, whose work contributes to the academic success of our students. All of us at Seattle Public Schools look forward to welcoming our students and families to a new school year tomorrow.

MAry September 3, 2013 (7:43 pm)

I thought the meeting started at 5? This is so late to not know if school starts tomorrow. I really wish I could tell my kids the plan before they go to bed. I support the teachers and the incredible work they do, but this is really disappointing.

WSB September 3, 2013 (7:51 pm)

We’re watching other streams from some of the citywide media camped out downtown, too. KUOW’s education reporter tweets that she has “reports of long lines at all 10 microphones in Benaroya Hall” for the debate. So this may be a while. We’ll add her into the stream (and possibly another on-site journalist or two).

Sarah September 3, 2013 (7:56 pm)

Such awful timing for the students and teachers. Hope they all get to bed soon and get to go to school tomorrow!

WSB September 3, 2013 (8:09 pm)

And the vote’s in – the contracts (three separate groups) were all passed, according to the union. So school’s on for sure. We have a student in our house, so I know the suspense firsthand – TR

karen September 3, 2013 (8:16 pm)

As usual, WSB is the place to go when you want to know!

Miss O September 3, 2013 (8:17 pm)

I didn’t even tell my kids. Just let them think it was fine and it is.

Mary September 3, 2013 (8:25 pm)

Whoohoo! My kids of course weren’t quite asleep yet with all the excitement for tomorrow, so I was able to let them know school’s on. Thanks teachers!

Lisa September 3, 2013 (8:27 pm)

Just received the robo call from SPS, glad the contract was approved but mot looking forward to going through all this again in 2 years.

HP Gal September 3, 2013 (8:34 pm)

That meeting was REALLY hard to sit through. There were definitely a good number of teachers there wanting to strike. The meeting started a half hour late. It sucks to give so much money to this union, stay at a meeting for two hours, and not be able to vote. I had to leave at 7 due to child care issues.

So relieved I will be stating the school year tomorrow!

Lisa September 3, 2013 (9:18 pm)

Why is the contract just for 2 years?

dsa September 3, 2013 (10:10 pm)

Good, saves stress and schedules all around.

Alki Resident September 3, 2013 (10:51 pm)

After waiting an hour and a half with hundreds of others at the John Stanford building trying to enroll my child,it was 3:35 when they announced that the system went down and we’d have to come back tomorrow.
Not only were we lied to because they wanted to clear the building by closing time (4pm) but now many students will miss the first day which is really an important day.
Seattle schools after all of these years still can’t have a good system to be organized and Im so angry to now have to stand in line for many more hours tomorrow instead. We were being lied to and kicked out early.
Im counting down to just a few more years with this school district and we’re done. I cant be more impressed with how the school districts are in other states where I have friends and family. So,so organized. Everyone was shaking their heads today. SPSD ,you are such an embarrassment for new combers.

carole September 3, 2013 (11:16 pm)

My son was on hold for 4 hrs today before the call disconnected, trying to find out whether his child was assigned to the school 1 block or the one 5 blocks away. Turned out the enrollment paperwork previously submitted was “lost.”

F16CrewChief September 4, 2013 (7:38 am)

Why are all you guys just now trying to figure out your childs school situation the day before school starts?

My son received his notice last May that he was attending Chief Sealth HS. But his older sister goes to WSHS and he too wanted to go there. So, LAST June I went down to the John Stanford Bldg, walked right up to the counter (no wait) and transferred my son to WSHS in less than 2 minutes.

If you don’t know you’re childs school before the summer starts, you should probably head down to the school district HQ then, not the day before school starts.

Just sayin….

karen September 4, 2013 (8:00 am)

F16 – wait lists usually move around during the summer. You find out if you got into a school late August bu this year because of the computer change, that information didn’t get out until Friday.

BTW – after almost daily robocalls from SPS, yesterday I did NOT get one to let us know that school was starting today! Anyone else find those things more annoying than helpful?