While talking with striking Seattle Education Association members today, we learned that the general plan for Friday, if it’s not resolved, was to be part of the National Day of Service rather than picketing. Late tonight, we’ve received word that in West Seattle, the plan has evolved to add a gathering including families. Shared with us by Schmitz Park Educators, on behalf of their colleagues from around the peninsula:

If the Seattle Public Schools teacher strike continues through the end of the week, please join West Seattle educators and families on Friday afternoon from 12:30-3:00 for an Alki Beach Read-In after a morning of community service in honor of September 11th (check with educators from individual schools for project specifics). ALL families are welcome! We are coordinating with multiple schools for this event and hope to have a great turnout.

Please bring your books, blankets, and back-to-school momentum! Meet near the Statue of Liberty on Alki Beach. Let’s spend the afternoon reading together as we show that we ALL want to be back in school.

Wear red – see you there!

You’re encouraged to RSVP so organizers have an idea of how many people to expect – you can do that here.

P.S. We’re also interested in all the local service projects tentatively planned on Friday (both educators and non-educators, for that matter) – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

(TOPLINES: Strike’s first day is on with picketing at all SPS schools; district says NO SCHOOL THURSDAY but talks are expected to resume in the morning; scroll down for newest updates and photos from all 16 public schools in WS)

(At Roxhill Elementary: WSB photo)

FIRST REPORT, 9:40 AM: Picketing has begun at Seattle Public Schools campuses around the city, as the Seattle Education Association‘s strike – announced at district HQ last night – begins. Above, picketers at the first school where we stopped to photograph picketers, Roxhill Elementary, the southernmost campus in WS for now (until Arbor Heights Elementary’s construction is done). Roxhill student Rose is on the line:

Community members there to support strikers include Steve, who says he walks by the school every day, so today, he picked up a sign:

SEA says picketing will continue today until 3 pm. Via text (206-293-6302), we just received a photo from (corrected) Pathfinder K-8 “families and friends” outside district HQ:

(Pathfinder K-8 “families and friends” outside John Stanford Center: Reader-texted photo)
ADDED 10:03 AM: Just back from Gatewood Elementary, where our Instagram video clip (mouse over the image to bring up the “play” button) includes a chant:

(At Gatewood Elementary: WSB video, above, and photo, below)
Gatewood parent Jena told us that a striker-support fund is in progress at Caffé Ladro around the corner. We also spotted this sign:

Just in from strikers at Schmitz Park Elementary:

(At Schmitz Park Elementary: Reader photos above, via text)

10:53 AM: Thanks for sending photos from more of the picket lines around West Seattle:

That’s from Fairmount Park Elementary teacher and parent Althea Chow, who says, “Fairmount Park Elementary staff and families are loving the honks of support from drivers on Fauntleroy Way! Thank you, West Seattle!” (In addition to the group above in front of the school on Findlay, they also have picketers along Fauntleroy to the west.) Whenever school starts, this will be the second year for the renovated and expanded FPES, which reopened last year, seven years after it was part of a wave of SPS closures.

At the forested campus of Sanislo Elementary:

Thanks to Megan Simmons for that photo.

Next, from Jennifer Hall, who says her photo is from “West Seattle High School! This strike is FOR our students!!”:

Earlier, we included a photo of Pathfinder K-8 families at district HQ downtown. Holli Margell tweets this from the Pathfinder campus, on Pigeon Point:

ADDED 11:29 AM: Just stopped at Highland Park Elementary, where picketers are marching along Trenton, with chants and with music from a loudspeaker:

Some students showed up this morning unaware of the strike, they tell us. They also are handing out a letter, reading, in part, “We are on strike to redefine public education in Seattle. We want the best schools in the nation, with world languages, music, the arts, sciences, humanities, mathematics, the language arts, physical education, and more. We want the money spent on kids and classrooms, not on bureaucrats at the Stanford Center. We want our kids to be fully ready for the 21st-century world, not just to be test-taking robots.” They reaffirm the plan announced pre-strike, for picketing today and tomorrow (if the strike is still on), then projects for the National Day of Service on Friday – these strikers say they’ll be at the nearby White Center Salvation Army that day.

On to 5950 Delridge – where this will be the second and final year of Arbor Heights Elementary‘s temporary home. This photo’s from Krista McInerney:

11:52 AM: We’re now at Denny Middle School and Chief Sealth International High School, which share a site in the 2600 block between SW Kenyon and SW Thistle. Denny picketers are along Kenyon (including the traffic circle):

Sealth photo to come:

They were marching along Thistle, all the way down to the Longfellow Creek P-Patch east of the school.

Back at Highland Park, PE teacher Chellie LaFayette tweeted that they had a surprise arrival just after we were there:

(Datapoint, Full Tilt co-founder Ann Magyar is a longtime teacher.)

12:15 PM: Just stopped at West Seattle Elementary in High Point:

Picketers are in front of the school on 34th SW and there’s also a small group at 35th and Morgan a few blocks away.

12:27 PM: On to the north end:

Thanks again to everyone who’s texted/e-mailed (editor@westseattleblog.com) photos; we will continue to update the story with any new information on what’s next in the strike (see below).

1:53 PM: Thanks to Heidi Alessi for the picket-line photo from the newly renamed Louisa Boren STEM K-8:

Meantime, more of the stops we made before a quick lunch break. In the Admiral District, Lafayette Elementary:

Down the hill from there, Alki Elementary:

2:10 PM: Just got word that some of the north WS strikers will be gathering in The Admiral District at/near Lafayette, so if you see a particularly sizable group there, it’s representing more than one school.

HOW LONG WILL THE STRIKE LAST? NEWEST INFORMATION, UPDATED 12:58 PM: No word of new talks, so far; negotiations started in May and were ongoing until just before the strike announcement last night. Both sides are updating their websites – the union here (you can find PDFs of its e-mailed updates here), the district here. … We added district spokesperson Stacy Howard about the plan for announcements on schools’ status, etc. Her reply: “Hopefully at least one update per day will go to families. But this is so complicated and we want to make sure we are accurate before just putting info out there. Also, as of right now there is not a plan for legal action. We hope to resolve this before that happens.” (Added) We noticed the message on the SPS home page has been updated:

12:58 PM UPDATE: SPS is having a media briefing in two hours. No new talks or breakthrough; members of the district bargaining team are expected to speak.

2:59 PM UPDATE: We’re live at district HQ to report toplines of the briefing. SPS spokesperson Stacy Howard is leading it off. “We appreciate our teachers and educators and believe we have made a strong offer … It’s also important to note we must protect our fiscal health … (the offer) is fiscally sound. A contract that is not fiscally sound ultimately will help our students. We are offering a substantial pay raise … Our most recent offer provides a 14 percent pay raise over three years including the state COLA …” She says the union’s proposal would cost three times as much as the district’s offer. She denies that they are “extending the teacher’s workday,” currently 6 hours and 10 minutes, proposed to go to 6 hours and 30 minutes. “By adding instructional minutes to our students’ day … we can meet their .. needs.” She says they believe negotiations will resume tomorrow.

In questioning, the bargaining team reps who have joined Howard say it’s “complicated” to explain why the extra instructional time won’t extend the teachers’ work day. Regarding the length of the contract, the district reps say that both sides have proposed two- and three-year contracts at different points; right now, the district’s most recent offer is 3 years, the union’s most recent offer is 2 years. “The negotiation process is fluid,” Howard interjects at one point. “We are hoping for a quick resolution.” Says bargaining team member Jon Halfaker, “We believe we have made strong gains.”

“Does the district’s offer pay teachers what they’re worth?” they are asked. Howard doesn’t answer directly but says, “We want to honor our teachers. … Our goal here is to make them feel like they are getting what they deserve and that the students are getting the education they deserve.” Adds the other bargainer, “The district’s offer IS competitive. … We know it’s best for our kids to have strong teachers.” Halfaker says they feel they’ve been “as transparent as (we) can be.”

Asked one last question, why negotiations ended last night with a strike announcement: Halfaker said they had all worked a very long weekend, but they were “quite surprised” by the union breaking away after getting a counterproposal around 5 pm and instead coming into the chambers last night to declare they were on strike.

Final word from spokesperson Howard: Yes, this means NO SCHOOL THURSDAY – please get the word out to everyone you know.

The chief bargainer for the union is expected to speak to the 34th District Democrats toward the start of their meeting in West Seattle tonight (7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy).

ADDED 4:17 PM: SEA says picketing at schools will resume at 8:30 am tomorrow, except for an early start, 4:45 am-6:15 am, at Louisa Boren K-8 STEM in West Seattle. (Not mentioned in the update, but we would guess that’s for benefit of early-morning TV reporters, so you might see TV trucks there in the very early hours.)

(TOPLINES: At 6:19 pm, we reported the union says it’s striking tomorrow; scroll down for that and later updates)

5:25 PM: We’re at Seattle Public Schools HQ downtown, the center of activity on this evening before either a Seattle Education Association strike or the start of SPS classes. First – the union says staffers at some schools walked out this afternoon “in solidarity” – we received this photo from Gatewood Elementary:

At HQ, we’ve received the text of the resolution the School Board is to consider, after a closed session shortly after the scheduled 5:30 pm start of a special meeting. We’ll link it here as soon as we find it online.

5:37 PM: The board has convened, taken roll, said the Pledge of Allegiance, then immediately left its chambers to go into closed-door session, expecting to be back at 6:25 pm. Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland wasn’t here yet – said to be stuck in traffic. Here meantime is the aforementioned document, with the resolution attached; we’ll embed it here shortly.

6:06 PM: Here’s the resolution, at the end of this document:

6:19 PM: Seattle Education Association bargainers have just walked into the board chambers and announced THE STRIKE IS ON – no deal, and talks have ended for the night. A large group has announced that the district made its most-recent offer 20 minutes ago. (Added: Our phone video with about a minute from the announcement:)

Union leaders are telling parents, call the district and tell it to “get serious.” This is all happening while the board continues its closed-door meeting steps away, expected to emerge and decide whether to authorize district leadership to pursue legal action in case of a strike, which we now know will happen. Picketing, the union says, will start (updated) at 8:30 am. If the district goes to court, the union says, it’ll ask members what they want to do – and they expect members would vote to defy the order, as Pasco teachers did. “We want competitive pay,” the union bargainers are saying. “Equity issues, reasonable testing issues, fair evaluations” are other issues that remain outstanding, they’re telling reporters. SEA’s bargaining chair and vice president Phyllis Campano is who’s been speaking.

6:29 PM: The board is now back in session and voting on the resolution shortly. Some hissing from the audience as a staffer reads the resolution components – including the authorization to close facilities if necessary – to the board. One component of the resolution is a suspension of regular board meetings – so if it passes, tomorrow night’s regular board meeting would be postponed indefinitely. There is a suggestion that if this resolution isn’t passed, the strike could go on for a long time. West Seattle’s school board member Marty McLaren says she is “devastated” to hear that school won’t start tomorrow. Director Sue Peters says it’s “her hope” that an agreement can still be reached soon: “There are many important components to this resolution that I do support, but not #5 – authorization of legal action,” so she’s not supporting the resolution. Board president Sherry Carr says the “#1 priority” is an agreement that works for both sides: “This is the textbook case of what results from a profoundly broken K=12 funding mechanism in Washington state.”

6:39 PM: Roll call: Betty Patu abstains. Peters votes no. All others vote yes. The resolution passes, and that authorizes the district to take legal action against the union, among other things. “SHAME ON YOU!” yell several in the audience. And a few minutes later, as the board members leave, some shout “Thank you, Sue Peters.”

Bottom line as of right now:

*Seattle Education Association says it’ll be out on strike tomorrow
*Union bargainers said no time/date set for talks to continue
*School Board has voted to give staff authorization to take legal action and other actions mentioned in the resolution (above) that just passed 5-1-1

There will certainly be more information from both sides as the night goes on and we’ll update, but for now, the board meeting is over and we’re headed back to West Seattle.

SIDE NOTE: For those still seeking child care – Seattle Parks says that while Hiawatha Community Center is at capacity, Alki, Delridge, High Point, and South Park community centers have some space for kids 5-12 already enrolled in before/after-school care there. See the original announcement here.

8:11 PM: In the ensuing two hours, both sides have confirmed the strike in tweets – no long statements yet. (Here’s what the district said.) Meantime, as you might have seen in comments, parents say they’ll be out supporting picketing teachers tomorrow.

9:30 PM: And now the news releases from both sides. From the Seattle Education Association:

More than 5,000 Seattle teachers and paraprofessionals will be on strike Sept. 9, the scheduled first day of school.

Picket lines will begin at 8:30 am Wednesday at every one of Seattle’s 97 public schools.

It is the first contract-related strike by the Seattle Education Association since 1985. Seattle is Washington’s largest school district.

Contract negotiations continued until about 6 pm Monday. On Sept. 3, SEA members voted unanimously to strike if the Seattle School Board failed to negotiate a tentative contract agreement by the start of school.

While negotiations began in May, major unresolved issues haven’t changed:

*Professional pay: We need to attract and keep caring, qualified educators in Seattle, which is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. We’ve gone six years with no state COLA and five years with no state increase in funding for educator health care.

*Fair teacher and staff evaluations: Educators should be evaluated fairly and consistently, and the focus should be on providing the support all educators need to be successful.

*Reasonable testing: Too much standardized testing is stealing time away from classroom learning.

*Educator workload relief: Current workloads mean many students aren’t getting the help they need.

*Student equity around discipline and the opportunity gap: We need to focus on equity issues in every school, not just some.

*The administration’s proposal to make teachers work more for free: It is unrealistic to expect teachers to work more hours without additional pay, and the district administration has been unable to explain how their proposal would help students.

SEA represents about 5,000 teachers, instructional assistants, paraprofessionals, nurses, counselors, substitute teachers and office professionals who educate 52,000 students in the Seattle School District.

Teachers in Pasco, WA also are on strike.

Here’s the district news release:

Seattle Public Schools’ teachers have declared a strike against the district, effective at midnight September 9, 2015. There will be no school tomorrow, the originally scheduled first day of school. A collective bargaining agreement could not be reached.

Seattle Education Association (SEA), the union that represents the district’s educators, substitutes, paraprofessionals, instructional assistants and office professionals notified Superintendent Larry Nyland and the School Board by letter earlier tonight. The notification of intent to strike, was made prior to the Board’s decision to approve a resolution that would allow appropriate legal action. This allows the superintendent to take necessary action he deems appropriate to protect and serve the district’s interests should there be a strike.

Mediators were brought in to assist with the negotiation process last week. The two sides held bargaining sessions throughout the day today. After a brief break, SEA informed the district talks had concluded for the night and announced their intent to strike. The district’s bargaining team has made themselves available to meet with SEA’s bargaining team at any time.

The district has partnered with the City of Seattle on child care options including Seattle Parks and Recreation and some SPS daycares will remain open.

SPS and SEA have the same shared goal of providing a quality education for our 53,000 students. The district is hopeful for a swift resolution and those students can start their school year soon.

Bargaining updates and information including child care options can be found on the SPS website.

Also: Just received word that tomorrow night’s 34th District Democrats meeting (7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy) will start with an update from the union’s bargaining leader, who’s seen in our video above.

(UPDATED 3:11 PM with district tweet)

5:04 AM: Contract talks continued on Labor Day between Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association – but instead of points of progress, this time around, the biggest news is the district’s announcement of a special board meeting tonight, seeking authority to go to court if there’s a strike. Here’s the action item on that meeting’s agenda:

(Read it here if you can’t see the embedded version above.) SEA members voted last Thursday night to strike tomorrow if there’s no contract deal; there was word of some progress over the holiday weekend, including agreeing on 30 minutes of guaranteed recess (the union had previously sought 45 minutes) and issues relating to substitute teachers, but no word of progress on Monday. Tonight’s special board meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 pm at district HQ in SODO (3rd S. & S. Lander), with a closed-door “executive session” up first, followed by the aforementioned resolution to be considered in open session thereafter.

9:57 AM: The union has just posted an update – see it here. From that update:

The SEA Bargaining Team continues to bargain in good faith – last night the team proposed a two-year contract and proposed creating a work group to study the possible merits and feasibility of extending the school day.

While we moved closer on some issues through the course of Monday’s bargaining, including on evaluations, the school board’s 11 pm package proposal still insisted on a 30-minute longer school day without a commitment to pay for that time. The district administration’s wage proposal barely budged from previous offers: 2 percent this year, 3.2 percent next year, and 3.75 percent the following year, when certificated staff would begin working 30 minutes longer. The SEA pay proposal is 6 percent a year.

We don’t have a tentative agreement, and our strike deadline is almost here.

As we’ve said all along, we’re dedicated to negotiating a fair contract and starting school on time, but the school board and district administration must recognize that educators need to be part of the decision making about what is best for students.

Our team is willing to meet with district bargainers today, but only if there’s a sense that continuing to meet would be productive.

12:13 PM UPDATE: Just received from district spokesperson Stacy Howard via e-mail:

We wanted to provide a very brief update, a more official detailed will be likely be provided later.

· SPS has offered $62 million as a counter to the $172 million worth of asks of SEA

· Includes

o Significant staff increases for special education

o Wage increases

o 30 minutes of additional student instructional time in year 3

· We gave that proposal just before midnight last night and are awaiting a response from SEA

· SPS bargaining team continues to be ready and available to meet

· We ask that families please have a contingency plan in place for childcare, in case school does not start tomorrow

· We are asking the media to help us in reaching out to some of our communities where English is a second language, for preparations.

We will continue updating this story until either late afternoon or a major development, whichever comes first, at which time we’ll start a new story and will add the link here so people know where to find it. We’re keeping this linked at the top of our sidebar (“BIG STORIES”) for easy finding, in the meantime.

3:11 PM: Neither side has yet ruled out the possibility that school COULD still start tomorrow as scheduled. The latest update is this district tweet from minutes ago:

No details of the counter-offer yet.