Members of the Ridgefield Education Association voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if the school district refused to address issues related to classroom sizes and wages.
Dissatisfaction with pay has led to high staff turnover in school districts, according to Elizabeth Stamp, co-president of a union representing more than 200 certified teachers and staff.
“We’ve made suggestions to address crowded classes, allow teachers to provide more individualized instruction, and better match other school districts on salaries,” Stamp said. “We need school districts to work with us for the benefit of our students and communities.”
Seattle school was late
“Last night the negotiating team stayed at the table until midnight and returned to work early this morning to meet with the district and mediators at 10:30 a.m.,” the union wrote in a statement Wednesday. We will continue to advocate for support, reasonable workloads and respectful salaries so that we give our students more of what they deserve.”
In notifying parents that schools will be closed again on Thursday, Seattle Public Schools said meals will be available to students at several locations.
“We are in ongoing negotiations with the Seattle Education Association, the educators’ union, and have not yet reached an agreement,” the school district wrote.
Educators in Seattle are calling for more support for students, including interpretation and translation services for students with multilingual education and improved special education staff ratios.
The union also wants more support and controls to prevent educator burnout. This includes capping the size of some classes and having all semi-professionals have laptops. Finally, unions want to raise wages, add incentives to attract substitutes, and protect the ability of educators to take personal leave.
Members of the Seattle Teachers Union voted for the strike, said strike president Jennifer Matter.
“We made a very difficult decision. Trust me, that decision was not taken lightly as to whether or not to allow the strike,” Matter said. “Because we don’t want to attack anyone. It’s not something people just choose, but the SPS didn’t give us a choice because we can’t go back to the way things were before. Because we have to fight for it.”
Source: www.cnn.com
