Updates Coming Fast
Update: Renton's union approved their new contract today with over 95% approval.
As well, word is that the Sisley slums on 65th and 15th are coming down tomorrow. Good news no matter what but 1) I won't be there to see it and 2) not the ones in front of Roosevelt High.
end of update
Ross Hunter (D-Medina and one of the "roadkill" Dems) is leaving the Legislature to become Governor Inslee's Director of Early Learning. It's a nod to the prominence that early childhood ed is increasingly taking in public education. That means he is likely to be a point person for the City's Preschool Program.
The district announced that Ron English - on administrative leave since February - has "retired." I have seen no press announcement but this from a tweet from KPLU's Kyle Stokes.
Latest on the SEA contract negotiations comes from two directions (one a teacher and one Stokes) - there is nothing new. No movement towards an agreement. The word from the teacher is that the union can't even understand what the district is offering.
We had one reader suggest that there may be some collusion going on by the district and the union to "create" a crisis in the district. That would be a fairly venal thing to do but with the leadership at the top of both, I don't discount it entirely.
A strike will do no good and I find it hard to believe - with the McCleary money to both the district and to teachers - that there is not a way forward.
As well, word is that the Sisley slums on 65th and 15th are coming down tomorrow. Good news no matter what but 1) I won't be there to see it and 2) not the ones in front of Roosevelt High.
end of update
Ross Hunter (D-Medina and one of the "roadkill" Dems) is leaving the Legislature to become Governor Inslee's Director of Early Learning. It's a nod to the prominence that early childhood ed is increasingly taking in public education. That means he is likely to be a point person for the City's Preschool Program.
The district announced that Ron English - on administrative leave since February - has "retired." I have seen no press announcement but this from a tweet from KPLU's Kyle Stokes.
Latest on the SEA contract negotiations comes from two directions (one a teacher and one Stokes) - there is nothing new. No movement towards an agreement. The word from the teacher is that the union can't even understand what the district is offering.
We had one reader suggest that there may be some collusion going on by the district and the union to "create" a crisis in the district. That would be a fairly venal thing to do but with the leadership at the top of both, I don't discount it entirely.
A strike will do no good and I find it hard to believe - with the McCleary money to both the district and to teachers - that there is not a way forward.
Comments
In the spirit of good-faith bargaining, the SEA Bargaining Team this
morning provided school district administrators with significant
counterproposals on recess and pay.
On recess, the SEA Bargaining Team proposed a guaranteed 30 to 45
minutes of recess each day (our previous proposal was for a
guaranteed 45 minutes).
On pay, our team proposed a raise of 6 percent a year for three years,
for a total raise of 18 percent (in addition to the state COLA). Our
previous proposal called for annual 7 percent raises.
As of 4 pm Monday, the school district administration bargaining team
had not formally responded to either of the new SEA proposals.
We still have no tentative contract agreement. That means the school
district administration is running out of time to negotiate a tentative
agreement with us prior to our Sept. 3 general membership meeting at
Benaroya Hall.
David Edelman
Wondering
What a lame punt. And strike another blow for do-nothing Gov. Inslee. He's a 3rd stringer when it comes to any education leadership. Make that someone who should be cut from the team. He stinks.
DistrictWatcher
curious
As to teachers strikes in Seattle, there have been the occasional one-day protest strikes, like this past spring, but the last strike over a contract does appear to have been in 1985.
I still believe this will get settled without a strike, but the district does not seem interested in seriously negotiating at all - which is why I'd expect a union leader to be applying pressure to board members they have a relationship with.
When I said (poorly) "over Seattle teachers" I meant that nurses have struck more often than teachers and that they have more leverage when they strike. The occasional one-day teacher "strike" with placards is typical in Seattle but nothing beyond that.
On another thread I found a discussion of compensation and didn't realize that about the time I started teaching, salaries were equalized throughout the state. From what I understand, the feds provide a salary schedule based on the cost-of-living in an area. Why was the state so dumb as to try to equalize salaries? Seems to me that was a huge mistake. Now the only way I know the feds do that is because I had a friend (since moved) who worked for the feds and he told me that. He compared the wages of a Spokane teacher he knew with mine and it was eye-opening.
Finally, I do remember TRI when it didn't demand more mandated time such as today but did pay you for some of the hours the state recognized teachers worked beyond regular schedules. That is long gone. I remember that we were expected to be able to account for those hours if asked but of course we never were asked.
The Board has zero role in the negotiations. That's the district's job and the Board isn't supposed to be involved (and cannot even be in the room, I don't think). They certainly can have input before the negotiations start re: Strategic Plan and how the contract can support it.
Ross Hunter has been working on statewide teacher compensation for years and has had a levy swap proposal on the table for over 10 years. He's been the canary in the coalmine and his own caucus (as well as everyone else) essentially ignored his warnings and proposals for years. The Democrats had been in the leadership of the House and Senate and the Governor's office for years and DID NOTHING. How long do you expect this guy to beat his head against the wall? You people are a pit of vipers. The guy cares deeply for early learning --- it was through his leadership that the Dept. of Early Learning got created, full-day kindergarten got funded, and more slots in ECEAP got funded --- and he truly wanted this position. He didn't flee. Heading up the DEL will be no walk in the park.
Citizen Kane
Seattle PI
Citizen Kane