One week from tomorrow, Seattle Public Schools will be closed because of teachers’ one-day walkout. Tonight, we’ve received this announcement on behalf of Chief Sealth International High School teachers and staff who say they will start the day with a two-hour event explaining and apologizing:
Seattle Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 as Seattle Public School teachers voted overwhelmingly to walk out on a one-day strike. Teachers and staff of Chief Sealth International High School have chosen to spend that morning hosting community from 8:00–10:00 a.m. in front of the school. The purpose of the event is two-fold: Chief Sealth staff want to provide a face-to-face opportunity for our students, families, and community to learn about why school employees have voted to strike and to apologize to the families for the real disruption this will cause to their daily routine.
At issue is the ongoing and long-term quality of education that is due to our children and families in the State of Washington. In 2012, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the State Legislature was not meeting its constitutionally mandated responsibility to fully fund education in our State. In the two years since the Court’s ruling, each time the Legislature has reported on its progress, the Court has reprimanded them for not making any progress. After a hearing before the Court this past September, the Court:
“…observed that it cannot stand idly by as the legislature makes unfulfilled promises of reform… Neither can the court stand idly by while its lawful orders are disregarded… Accordingly, the court unanimously finds the State in contempt for failing to comply…” [Supreme Court of Washington, Court Order No 84362-7, filed: 9/11/2014]
The Court ended its Order by deciding not to punish the Legislature until after the 2015 Legislative session, giving them one more opportunity to comply. In the classroom, every day, public school staff, students and families can see the effects of the State’s unfulfilled obligations. In this past budget process alone, Chief Sealth was forced to displace teachers and choose between funding school social workers or art classes after making deep cuts to our freshman support program, truancy specialist, Spanish Immersion Program and more.
Meanwhile, the voters have passed Initiatives that have become law requiring the State to fund smaller class sizes and teacher cost-of-living increases. The State Legislature has failed in its responsibility: failed to comply with the will of the voters and failed to comply with the State Supreme Court. The Legislature completed the Regular Legislative Session without agreeing on a budget. The Governor called them into Special Session on April 29th, saying:
“Before the Legislature convened in January, I said we must fund education through a sustainable and responsible budget… That work remains undone. A special session will allow lawmakers to focus on these priorities and I expect the work to be done within the 30-day session.”
School staff are giving their time and money to create and host this event because we feel that it is important that our community hear what is really going on (and not going on) in our State government regarding education. No school district resources are being used to plan or create this event.
The staff of Chief Sealth International High School invites the community to join us in “not sitting idly by” as we implore the Legislature of the State of Washington to comply with the Washington State Supreme Court’s Order to adequately fund Public Education for our students: Tuesday morning, May 19th, 2015 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. in front of Chief Sealth International High School.
If any other schools’ teachers and/or other staffers have public events planned on the walkout day, please let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com.
SPS administration has announced the day of school will be made up on June 16th, which is now the new last day of classes for the school year.
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