STRIKE? Here's who's saying what tonight in Seattle school standoff

Josh September 4, 2022 (8:37 pm)

Sounds like SPS is trying to find a reasonable path out of this and SEA is refusing to budge on any of their positions. My bet: they strike for one week then agree to mediation. During mediation they give SPS authority to change special Ed and multilingual ratios and keep their preferred raises.

teacher September 4, 2022 (10:59 pm)

SEA was willing to bargain on Friday and Saturday and SPS was a no-show.
- Josh September 5, 2022 (8:40 am)
  
  They offered mediation and SEA refused. You offer mediation when one or both sides are not negotiating in good faith, the way SEA hasn’t been. Asking for mediation is bargaining Learn about labor negotiations before you get sucked into one sided propaganda, teacher.
WSResident September 5, 2022 (8:35 am)

Hardly. When you offer a pay raise in exchange for silence a.k.a. – agreeing not to strike – that’s hardly bargaining in good faith. They are sitting on $167 million !!!!! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ WSR
- Parent September 6, 2022 (9:08 am)
  
  It’s good they have a fund with a 10% drop in enrollment and dropping test scores. What will next year bring? The union kept schools closed too long and have lost a lot of trust.
ProStudents September 5, 2022 (11:20 am)

Mediation can come out of SPS’s $160 million dollar rainy day fund, instead actually using it on a rainy day? It’s our students’ money.
Why would anyone would be against student supports? Who else knows what is best for students other than teachers themselves? Why are you against teachers?
Totally lost on me.
JP September 5, 2022 (1:21 pm)

how can you bargain when the district doesn’t show up. This is about needs of special education and multi lingual students needs.
Parent and teacher September 5, 2022 (7:52 pm)

Hey Josh, guess what. SEA agreed to mediation today. So I guess you’ll have to find another reason to whine about the union and teachers

ST September 4, 2022 (8:53 pm)

Sounds like the concern may be lack of staffing. Ok. But, what is the district supposed to do? There are labor shortages everywhere. It’s not like a magic wand can be waived and all of a sudden additional staffing will appear. and I don’t understand how a strike helps with all of the learning deficits and students already left behind because of the pandemic and remote school. Seems like a delayed start only makes it worse for these students. There are a lot of parents out there struggling to balance work and child care. A strike and delayed start to school only makes it worse for those parents.

Anne September 4, 2022 (9:53 pm)

And there are a lot of teachers that are struggling to teach effectively. They are struggling to find a balance in the classroom-for the benefit of their students.
teacher September 4, 2022 (11:03 pm)

Lack of staffing is everywhere. Competitive pay solves that problem. I am happy with the pay increase proposal. I am not happy with ambiguous classroom and special education guidelines for support in the classroom for special ed inclusion.
Teacher September 5, 2022 (11:22 am)

A $160 million rainy day fund is kind of a magic wand, no?SPS funding and reserves is all public info on OSPI. Check it out.
Wanda September 7, 2022 (9:59 am)

I work in afther school elementary school we ask to work mire hours because the strike si kids have a place to be so parenths can go to work but not all parenths have money to pay for this so the wants are not enroll will hace to stay home I agree with you

Kelly September 4, 2022 (9:19 pm)

This is a signal that the district does not intend to bargain in good faith. Obviously, SPS is trying to get ahead of things and set this up as solely a salary issue, when SEA has made it abundantly clear that priorities include the needs of understaffed SPED students and multilingual ELL students. In addition SEA prioritizes mental health of staff and students. SPS has refused to show up at the bargaining table, and now issues this completely one-sided communication with no mention of any issue besides teacher salary. I hope that Seattle families see through this disingenuous attempt at framing the issues. The teachers represent the best interests of staff and students. Don’t be fooled by the district’s gaslighting.

Sam September 4, 2022 (9:51 pm)

It’s only partially about the benjamins
Admiral Mom September 4, 2022 (11:15 pm)

Unions are there to guard teachers interests.Parents are the only student advocates
- teacher September 5, 2022 (5:20 am)
  
  That is absolutely not true. The majority of elementary teachers I work with and and know in west seattle advocate for what is best for our students in our bargaining. We care about our students and want to ensure the best learning environment for them. That is why we became teachers; to help kids. I have been in this profession for almost 30 years and still love it because I know I am making a difference in helping to better kid’s lives. Besides a parent, how many jobs can you say that about?
- Alkimom September 5, 2022 (8:41 am)
  
  I hear you there Admiral mom! We are the only advocates for our kids. The proposal seems more than fair and is a much better pay increase than I saw this year! Nothing is being taken away. And let’s be honest, with unions, it’s always about the money. I’m not seeing a large enough reason here to have such a kerfuffle and to impose a delay in school to our kids. This scene and the past two years already has shown how much of a focus and center families and kids are to leaning. Lost faith and gaining distaste for SPS and SEA.
- WSResident September 5, 2022 (8:43 am)
  
  Incorrect.
- Educator September 5, 2022 (8:57 am)
  
  As someone who has participated on a school district bargaining team, I must say that you are unequivocally wrong. The teachers union brings many student issues to the bargaining table and advocates on behalf of the students. Additionally, it’s very difficult to untangle teacher issues from student issues. Inability to recruit quality educators impacts students. Class sizes and student-teacher ratios impact students. Staffing shortages impact students. Extreme teacher turnover rates impact students. Teachers not being able to afford to live in the communities they work in impacts students.
- Teacher 2 September 5, 2022 (9:08 am)
  
  A lot of teachers advocate for students when the parents are not aware of the issues at play. I always advocate for my students. Not all students have a privileged loud parent, and it’s us teachers who stand up for those students. Also, I voted not to strike because although I think SPS is shortchanging students I would prefer to strike only when absolutely critical. So, please understand everyone’s perspectives. Always.
- Melissa September 5, 2022 (9:20 am)
  
  Admiral Mom, that’s just silly. Teachers don’t enter teaching because they want to get rich; in almost every case, they enter teaching because they care about kids. They ARE advocating for kids. They’re advocating for survivable, safe, sane teaching circumstances that allow them to properly teach kids.
- Mike September 5, 2022 (10:18 am)
  
  Bingo!

Rhonda September 4, 2022 (9:46 pm)

It’s too bad the emphasis and concern isn’t about the students these days.

Zark September 4, 2022 (10:18 pm)

SEA is concerned with students. SPS is not, at all, concerned with students, families, or education.
- Josh September 5, 2022 (8:45 am)
  
  What’s weird is the union elects itself to protect its members and SPS is ran by a democratically elected board and funded by taxpayers. Zark you have it backwards. If the Teachers cared about teaching they would accept steps to resolution like mediation and the MOU that agrees to continue to bargain while also starting school on time. SEA clearly wants a strike and doesn’t understand that will further exacerbate parents fleeing to private and taking their money with them.what do you think SPS does with their funding? Give themselves secret bonuses? Get out of here.
  - The King September 5, 2022 (12:10 pm)
    
    Could you explain how unions elect themselves to represent the teachers ?
- Mike September 5, 2022 (10:26 am)
  
  Unions care about how to profit. They do not care about teachers or students, don’t fall for the game they play. SPS cares about longevity of careers in administrative roles.Both SPS and SEA need to stop using kids as a pawn and bargaining chip. I’m thinking it’s time parents open a class action lawsuits. Enough is enough. There’s ZERO reason an agreement cannot be finalized by end of July. That would also allow teachers proper time to prepare for the next school year. Maybe we need year round school. Our country is way behind other industrialized countries when it comes to education. We’re a joke now.
  - Roy September 6, 2022 (8:57 am)
    
    Mike,You seem like a very informed fella.I just got done writing a not so nice letter to SPS.I know it’s a waste of time,but like you said these aholes are using children as pawns,and I needed to vent.I also mentioned to them the idea of suing-I.E.class action et al.how do we start that?Honestly,we are way past due as parents and taxpayers,our money is going down the toilet year after year for diminishing to no returns.Enough is enough.
- Snark September 5, 2022 (10:47 am)
  
  What a balanced, impartial, and unbiased position to take, Zark. /s

Person September 4, 2022 (10:16 pm)

Kids need to be in school. Period.SEA dragged school closures on way too long. It’s not the time for more. Bring your complaints, justified or not, to the table next time around.

MercyMoi September 5, 2022 (8:57 am)

SEA has been at the table. SPS was a no show and refused to bargain for two days this weekend. That’s two days of delay and missed negotiation work.

I will never trust SPS September 4, 2022 (11:30 pm)

And SEA lost my confidence when they over played their hand on the COVID return to school. Seems like SEA is run by an extreme few (like most political entities) and not embracing the big picture. It is absolutely true that teachers are under paid, under valued and under appreciated, that has always been true. And this union has destroyed the goodwill that all our hearts would otherwise be 100% behind. The truth is, I don’t trust either side. And why on earth would be wait until a week before school starts to let these two failed organizations try to sort out their differences?!? Now only the kids will suffer and both sides are guilty of exploiting that. Is it ok that our kids continue to suffer? These two should commit to binding arbitration and let a third party truly get to the bottom of their propaganda.

TeachersTeach September 5, 2022 (5:50 pm)

1. SEA is run by its 6,000 members.
2. If you believe that teachers are underpaid, undervalued and underappreciated, our students are in turn underfunded, undervalued and underappreciated.
3. SEA has been at the table all summer
4. Please look at the side by side proposals posted by WSB to learn more about how students are already suffering at the hands of the school district, which is the political entity. Union members are labor workers.

G September 5, 2022 (12:44 am)

As a parent of two students AND an educator in SPS, I can assure you we ALL want our kids (yours, mine & your neighbor’s) at school! We love being with your kids, unfolding their learning, sparking joy and supporting our communities we love dearly. We are just as sad, frustrated and inconvenienced, as the next person with the prospect of a strike. This is 110% about the kids and families we serve every day. The core of this disagreement is over Special Education and Multi-language learners, and the supports and proper staffing required to give all of our students our best. These past two years were some of the most challenging years even veteran teachers have had, but we are excited to be in classrooms and have a great start. But staffing is the lowest its been, the demands & workloads have continued to grow, the district’s projections for our enrollment were quite off & we have bulging classrooms this fall (unless some adjustments are made), and with the move towards full inclusion (which is great!) we need to have enough staff, training, time & support to make it work right. Our most vulnerable and highly impacted students do not deserve us to just make do with shoestring staffing to really make full inclusionary practices a reality. Entire schools don’t deserve it either, which is the reality of the impact this will have if not addressed now. We are the practitioners who work with your children every day, and for staff who are classified staff living in Seattle, not certificated teachers, salaries are low. And caseworkers who ensure our kiddos with IEPSs and 504s and their families are served the ways they should be– they have tremendous workloads. This is about the unseen work & making sure the folks you want to be in community with your children day in and day out, can do just that. We ♥️ serving your kids.

Lauren September 5, 2022 (3:36 am)

Solidarity, G. Anything folks can do to help?
Caleigh (SPS teacher) September 5, 2022 (7:19 am)

This is so well said! I’m also a parent and teacher with SPS. ❤️
Kate September 5, 2022 (7:50 am)

Super well said, G!
Josh September 5, 2022 (8:48 am)

Then agree to a smaller wage increase to fund the special Ed proposal. With a contract that escalates to well over 125k a year(the last contract, the next one will be over 130k) for 8 months of work anyone who believes you are underpaid has been had.
- teacher September 5, 2022 (11:18 am)
  
  Josh, The problem is they have no special education proposal except to move to an inclusion model. I would love to do inclusion but not when the contract language says that they will give “adequate support” to our students because in all of my experience with Sps adequate support to them is grossly different than what the students actually need. The contract language needs to be more specific.
- miws September 5, 2022 (1:32 pm)
  
  Josh, why are you spreading the myth that teachers only work 8 months out of the year? I suppose you’d also claim that during the school year they only put in 8 hours, Monday through Friday at the school, and never taking home papers to grade or work on lesson plans evenings and weekends and that they never buy classroom supplies out of their own pocket… —Mike
- Shufflerunner September 5, 2022 (5:03 pm)
  
  It’s not just 8 months of work even if you’re going by the school calendar. Also, not all teachers make the max in salary schedule, in fact, the majority make about half. I know many teachers with experience and a graduate degree that make less than $70k.
- For Students September 5, 2022 (6:04 pm)
  
  Salary is determined by education and years experience. An educator needs to invest a lot of time and money (through education) to move up over many years. I believe you are only look at the certificated salary schedule and not the classified. The salary for classified staff is not a livable wage, and, schools can not function without classified staff.
  A certificated teacher who has put in 15+ years experience with advance degrees is hardly the exemplar of employees that serve our Seattle communities.
  
  Eight months of work you say?
  
  Good grief. Misinformed Josh’s, please bark up the district’s tree about $160 million dollars they are sitting on. School employees are not your enemy.
Genesee Hill Resident September 5, 2022 (8:53 am)

I appreciate your dedication to your students but I humbly suggest it is not universal. I attended a gathering with 9+ SPS teachers during the 2018 negotiations. At that time, the SEA public stance was “this is all about the students”; however, the only discussion point among those SEA representatives was salary. The self-centerd and mean-spirited attitudes I witnessed were shocking. As the child of public school educators I’ve always been an unapologetic and staunch supporter of teachers. Not so much now.
Z,ark September 5, 2022 (9:14 am)

Honestly, this sounds like more rhetoric typed only to make you feel better about holding Seattle students and families hostage. SPS does NOT care about students. They have proven that time and again, and continue the same with this round of ineptitude. Instead of wasting everyone’s time with this trite self-serving claptrap try just saying “I’m sorry”. Sorry you failed students, sorry you failed families, sorry you failed – period. You failed and you are hurting students and families, negatively impacting the education of those you just said you care about. You failed.
Teacher 2 September 5, 2022 (9:23 am)

Well said. ❤️ In addition, did you know that some schools with wealthier parents on the PTA pay the salary of additional staff, like art teachers? I’m sure these parents would want to strike if their child was in a classroom of 30+ with very little support. There are many issues at play here and different schools are affected in different ways. It is undeniable that the students furthest from educational justice are the ones that feel the most impact.
Goldie September 5, 2022 (1:25 pm)

Thank you G! ❤️❤️❤️
Curious September 6, 2022 (9:40 am)

Why is full inclusion so important? Why do all special education students need to be in the general classroom all the time? I’m confused and upset to imagine that this idea of inclusion is what this is all about. But I don’t know if I have this correct so I’d love to know more about what inclusion means and why it’s so important.

Sigh September 5, 2022 (6:44 am)

No words to describe how disappointing these comments are. First, everyone is ready to sacrifice the teachers’ health to get their kids back in school so they could themselves have a break. Which caused teacher shortages due to them getting sick, followed by extra stress on the remaining teachers, burnout, and staffing shortages. Now you guys are STILL saying the teachers are the bad guys for pointing out how the current way of doing things isn’t sustainable. Forcing teachers back under these conditions will just feed the cycle of burnout and overworking the remainder of the teachers until we’re looking at short school weeks and other drastic measures other states have taken after driving away their teachers. Of course the union has the interest of teachers in mind, because no one else seems to. From what I’ve read here not the parents, not the community, and certainly not SPS seems to give a rip about the teachers or make ANY connection between the treatment of those teachers and the quality of the education the kids will get. You guys saying teachers need to get in there and teach no matter what “because the kids” need to get your heads out of the sand, and SPS needs to spend less time whining about SEA and a little more actually bargaining with them.

Nic September 5, 2022 (7:33 am)

So what are parents supposed to do who rely on school for childcare? I work in health care. We received a vague “we are reaching out to community childcare providers to help support our families”. How? Listen, I agree that changes need to happen. However, my kids not having anywhere to go is not the solution. No one cares about those of us who can’t work from home. Get the kids in school and sort it out after.

honesty September 5, 2022 (11:27 am)

well, finally some honesty. Parents are pissed because they just want childcare. What about “we would like less than 29 students in an elementary class and we would like SpEd students to get the support they need?” I get it that we have all been pushed to the brink this past 3 years, but my kid’s education is important! Teachers are more than babysitters. I support you teachers.

Parent in Admiral September 5, 2022 (7:53 am)

SPS- please fix the bs special and multilingual ratios TODAY. I can totally understand how this is a barrier for SEA. I volunteer a bit at the school and the teachers are already overloaded.SEA- if they do change ratios, please sign.Let’s get back to school on time!

MrsT September 5, 2022 (8:36 am)

I find it infuriating that the district is constantly fighting against the teachers to provide for what they need. Teachers, I wholeheartedly support you in your bargaining, and I thank you for being willing to do what you do. I want my kid in class just as much as everyone, but let the Union do it’s work and get the district in line!

Pronto September 5, 2022 (8:58 am)

Sign the MOU and continue negotiations. Don’t use the children as hostages

Special Ed teacher here September 5, 2022 (1:09 pm)

Agree 100%
Shufflerunner September 5, 2022 (5:07 pm)

Saying you’ll work while negotiating and now legally cannot strike means you have no leverage. The MOU is a farce at best.
Melissa Westbrook September 5, 2022 (9:07 pm)

The union could do that but it feels like a power play, a forced attrition measure by the district.

Parent September 5, 2022 (9:25 am)

SPS is really promoting a “don’t look up” strategy. They cancelled their weekend bargaining right after they emailed parents saying they were committed to working through the weekend to get a deal done in time. Then to cover that up they proposed an MOU that says they want teachers to sign away the only leverage they have, which is a strike, before they start bargaining again. Now they will continue to stall until the preemptive strike vote comes back on Tuesday. If that vote comes back against a strike they will dig in and not budge which could still cause a strike. And if it comes back in support of a strike they will say, “there’s nothing we can do because clearly the teachers want to strike.” I choose to look up SPS.

Special Ed teacher here September 5, 2022 (12:12 pm)

CorrectionSEA shut down the negotiations when they refuse to allow it to happen with a mediator.
- Goldie September 5, 2022 (3:17 pm)
  
  SEA is now working with the mediator. The email went out today.

Wake up September 5, 2022 (10:45 am)

It’s competitive pay PLUS somehow actually making teachers important again in society. Teachers have come more and more the subject of criticism as salaries remained low and class sizes grew. Once upon a time Americans valued teachers. Without an educated population ignorant voters have the franchise. My gosh, we need to value education in general once again.

BECKY September 5, 2022 (11:25 am)

What ya’ll need to get into your thick skulls is that TEACHERS aren’t making the $100,000 plus salaries you like to throw in educator’s faces. ADMINISTRATORS are making the $100,000 plus salaries. It is mostly people with offices faaaaar away from students, families, teachers and the community make the money. And they are largely in control of making these decisions that negatively impact us all. Most teachers are struggling to live in their neighborhood. Many teachers have summer jobs or weekend jobs. Please stop accusing teachers of being greedy and lazy and entitled, it’s untrue and hurtful.

Person September 5, 2022 (6:56 pm)

My sister in law makes over 100k as an elementary school teacher. You can easily look salaries up online.
- westseattleteacher September 5, 2022 (9:28 pm)
  
  I am at the end of the pay scale and have been for 13years now. I have been teaching 28 years total. I have a bachelors degree, masters degree, national board certification and three endorsements as well as my teachers license. I live in a city that is very expensive. I am one of the people who is at the very end of the pay scale which makes over 100,000 a year and I have worked really hard to get there. And the only way that I get a raise is when we have an open contract bargaining year in which a raise is decided to be added and this last couple of years the state instituted a yearly 1.6% cost-of-living increase, which I did not get for the first 24 years of teaching.. How many professionals get raises in this same way? I can be the best in my profession and still not get a raise unless it is bargained for for the entire union. The majority of the teacher pay scale makes less than 100,000 a year. And by the way- all the teachers I know are most concerned about the special ed caseload language for this bargain. The state issued a special inflation adjustment 5.5% pay increase so we expect to get that, but the sped caseload language and lack of counselors at every school is why many teachers I know decided to strike.

West Seattle Teacher September 5, 2022 (11:31 am)

The district’s current proposal for class sizes and ML/SEL ratios guarantees a lack of student success and increased teacher burnout. Last year was one of the hardest years of my life due to the insane emotional and mental stress this profession piles on. I don’t think I could take any more. Help us, SPS! I want to go to work and take care of my kids, but I can’t step into a school year knowing I’m being set up to fail.

Yma September 5, 2022 (11:42 am)

So – what if an educated individual wanted to become a grade school teacher – nothing specialized. What is required? With the need, does a person have the chance to work in the general area around where they live?

teacher September 5, 2022 (2:39 pm)

You need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate with an endorsement in k-8 or k-12 education. The more education you have, the higher on the payscale you can start and then the more experience can also add more pay. You would have a good chance of having an interview in the area in which you live, if you are qualified, because there is a teacher shortage across the nation. If you would like to substitute teach, in most districts you just need a bachelor’s degree as there is an even bigger substitute shortage.

Pronto September 5, 2022 (12:03 pm)

Nobody gets a 6.5% pay raise. If the teachers mean what they say then spend that money on special education.

Special Ed teacher here September 5, 2022 (12:06 pm)

I am a tenured special ed. teacher with Seattle Public Schools living and working in West Seattle.I am disheartened that SEA board members (yes my union) refused to negotiate with a mediator then twisted it to put the blame on SPS for not showing up. Mediation is transparency, is unbias and works towards resolution. If the SEA board members cannot speak in front of a mediator I have huge concerns with their leadership.I say let’s get back to school this week under our current contract and let’s mediate the very few remaing pieces of the current negotiations.The teachers union is to support teachers. The PTSA and the school board is to set policy in the interest of students. Once those lines start crossing things become chaotic and hectic. Let’s keep it simple

teacher September 5, 2022 (2:43 pm)

SEA is now working with the mediator. Read your email.
- Special Ed teacher here September 5, 2022 (3:34 pm)
  
  Yes SEA has finally agreed to work with a mediator. Negotiations can now continue as previously planned.
  - I read my email September 5, 2022 (5:15 pm)
    
    SEA has not agreed to a mediator. I believe both sides are currently at the bargaining table.BTW “Special Ed teacher here”, Seattle teachers cannot be tenured.
    - Special Ed teacher here September 5, 2022 (10:46 pm)
      
      Seattle Public Schools teachers can be tenured in the true sense of the word, which I am as well as being tenured in the pedestrian of longevity.Here is a cut and paste FYI
      
      Analysis of Washington’s policies
      
      The probationary period for teachers in Washington is three years. At a district’s discretion, a teacher may be granted tenure after the second year if he or she receives one of the top two evaluation ratings.

WET September 5, 2022 (12:13 pm)

As a parent of SPS and strong supporter of teachers I would like a way to reach out to SPS to tell them to get to the table. Is there a way to voice our frustration with SPS lack of bargaining?

ttt September 5, 2022 (2:45 pm)

Email the school board.
- Melissa Westbrook September 5, 2022 (9:10 pm)
  
  The Board doesn’t read its emails. They said that because they “get too many of them.” They don’t have community meetings because, well, they don’t want to so you don’t have that option.
AmyC September 5, 2022 (3:46 pm)

WET – you can use their “let’s talk” form here: https://www.k12insight.com/Lets-Talk/LetsTalkTab.aspx?k=WF7G2YLT@PT1BLT@DY9D9B8LT&rnd=1583625600180Or you can email the superintendent and the board. Or both!

Steve September 5, 2022 (12:31 pm)

You know the bigger issue is we need to fund schools adequately in washing state. Get Olympia to legislate a long overdue solution this problem they have been putting off for years. The levy system attached to property taxes is displacing thousands of people of lower and moderate incomes into the streets or out of this state. They should prioritize education first when deciding what revenue to spend. Spread the burden to a larger pool of people across Washington State at a fair tax rate and roll back or eliminate the levy system. Seattle used to be the most livable city.

WestSeattleBadTakes September 5, 2022 (12:55 pm)

This country is sprinting towards collapse, enabled by the class traitors in this discussion.

Margo September 5, 2022 (2:20 pm)

My kids need the Sped support. They need their sped teachers being paid for the hours spent crafting the right plans for their education. Having them at home is disruptive for the short term, but having a crappy sped system because SPS doesn’t want to think about it will suck longer, and for everyone. With the right support, my kids will be taxpayers. Without it….who knows? I stand with the teachers.

GB September 5, 2022 (3:27 pm)

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ617440Whether you like the Union or not, statistical data suggests that students do better when unions are present. Well paid teachers with resources have the time and ability to stay at work and argue for improvements on behalf of our families.

sam September 5, 2022 (4:44 pm)

if all of this for the kids’ sake and not just for a pay raise, how is delaying schools is going to help these kids?Last year it was about COVID and masks, this year is about special ed kids. One feels like these are added just to make it sounds like it’s not just about a pay increase. Then they got angry that SPS said it as it is and offered to start school on time and negotiate the increase. Guess saying yes to this would make it too obvious.

Math Teacher September 5, 2022 (6:04 pm)

If the workload is unsustainable, teachers will be unable to meet student needs.

If a full inclusion model is implemented without aides and supports, with the idea that SPS can simply carve out a couple extra Wednesday hours of professional development on curriculum design and then teachers will be able to do that which has never been done before, then students will suffer, and both teachers and students will be miserable and burn out and quit.

Sure I want a raise, but a raise wont suddenly make me capable doing the work of two employees.
Math Teacher September 5, 2022 (6:12 pm)

<<how is delaying schools is going to help these kids>>If the union is able to achieve an agreement that includes the union’s proposals on instructional aides and funding special education supports, that will help these kids.It is unfortunate that withholding one’s labor seems to be the only way to get management to listen.

Mel September 5, 2022 (5:58 pm)

Again, why do the teachers always strike but other unions (like police) can go years without a contract and they’re still expected to show up to work? I think they need to get back to work and continue negotiations.

WSB September 5, 2022 (8:02 pm)

The last strike was seven years ago (2015). The last one before that was 30 years earlier (1985).

WSB September 5, 2022 (7:45 pm)

Regarding whether mediation is or isn’t happening now, apparently it is – tonight’s media update from SEA includes this: “The SEA Bargaining Team met with SPS on Sunday and met with a mediator today to continue work toward an agreement.”

SPS Teach September 5, 2022 (9:27 pm)

It is likely that this comment will get burried among others, but I cannot let this issue pass without comment.I am a current SPS employee who lives and works in West Seattle. I have worked as a full time teacher (special Ed and elementary Ed) for a decade, in addition to time spent as a substitute teacher. I also have multiple children at public schools in our area. I relocated here almost a decade ago from another state— a state that does not allow teachers to unionize. I was here for the 2015 strike and have learned many lessons along the way that inform my position now.I can say, whole heartedly, that teachers in WA and most of SPS are some of the most qualified and dedicated teachers I have ever worked with. Most have masters degrees and multiple certificates (national board and otherwise), and yet barely make enough to live in our area. So is pay a concern? Yes. But that is far from where these educators are drawing the line. SPS is proposing classrooms of unmanageable sizes with students of disparate needs without any plans or accommodations. THIS is where teachers are holding the line. Imagine a classroom of 30 students (more if you teach in middle or high school)… 2 are learning English for the first time, and 5-10 of them have documented specialized learning needs. They may not even be able to access the same curriculum as their age level peers. And yet, SPS is currently proposing that they are all the responsibility of their general education teacher… with no clear plans of support? This model does not serve the best interests of any students. Striking is hard. I want my own children AND my students back at school ASAP. But what the district proposes is not best for its students right now. A mediator is involved now, and giving in to the rhetoric that your over-worked, under-paid, and uber-dedicated teachers are to blame is disheartening.

Curious September 5, 2022 (10:26 pm)

I don’t have enough of the facts at this time to comment on the negotiations. However, as a parent of a SPS student with an IEP, I know I want the best for our students and teachers and am curious on why the timing of the negotiations is what it is. Can it be changed in the future where it can be less impactful/stressful in the event of delays? (e.g. July?)

Parent September 6, 2022 (9:16 am)

I agree! Before everyone goes on summer break so it’s not the students and parents that pay the price.

Parent September 6, 2022 (9:15 am)

Well it looks like folks have already chosen a side but don’t forget – the union kept schools closed far too long and now enrollment is way down and test scores are even worse. Before demanding that SPS spend its rainy day fund consider how they will pay for this contract if more students leave SPS next year. SEA might have great ideas but may not be in a great position to be demanding them. Just sayin.