District Says School Will Start Thursday but Not So Fast

This tweet went out from SPS:

 School will start Thursday! We are excited to welcome our 53,000 students! Reminder: kindergartners will also start Thurs.

EXCEPT, as The Stranger accurately points out, there is no firm agreement yet with the union.  The union hasn't tweeted this news.  This is a tactic that is often used when tentative agreements are made in order to embarrass/force one party to agree to a contract.  

While I think it is more than likely school will start Thursday, it was wrong of the district to say so not in unison with the union.

Comments

Patrick said…
Premature announcement is as likely to annoy the union into rejecting the agreement than it is to pressure them to end the strike.

9/15/15, 2:08 PM
Leaves said…
That's exactly the sort of disrespect from the district that has motivated teachers to strike and may cause teachers to vote against an agreement.

At the very least it wI'll add to the teachers' inevitable and understandable resentment that the district has already caused by their reprehensible behavior during the negotiation process.
9/15/15, 2:13 PM
Jet City mom said…
The way I understand it, the Union leadership has not even presented their recommendation to the rank & file, let alone given them a chance to vote on it.
Way to taint the process and make the teachers look like the bad guys, SPS, or was that the intention?
9/15/15, 2:36 PM
EyePrize said…
Let's keep our eye on the prize -- Get teachers back to teaching. If one side has to pull dirty tricks to achieve that, so be it. A strike can hardly be expected to generate a collaborative bargaining environment. Both sides share in the failure to start school on time.
9/15/15, 2:39 PM
n said…
Dirty tricks are ok? Oh man. The "prize" is an equitable contract for SEA and SPS and the promise of a good education for kids.
9/15/15, 2:49 PM
Patrick said…
EyePrize, the prize is schools open again with a good contract. Even sides that have opposing interests can treat each other with respect.
9/15/15, 2:54 PM
goodcitizen said…
The reps wil vote. Not the rank and file. I don't think I can remember a time when the reps didn't vote for what their bargaining team agreed to.
9/15/15, 2:58 PM
Getting Annoyed said…

Seattle Schools ‏@seapubschools · 1h1 hour ago
School will start Thursday! We are excited to welcome our 53,000 students! Reminder: kindergartners will also start Thurs.













sunilTeonna WrotenJennifer SullivanT Pimpin'Shanley Julie Ryanaidan welchliterallyRick North




210 retweets 118 favorites



 Reply


 Retweet

210






 Favorite

118







 More

Someone, please take a screen shot of SPS's twitter feed. They are announcing that SPS has reached a tentative agreement and school will start on Thursday. The board has not voted on this issue. I've noticed that the Alliance For Education is pushing this narrative and Ed Murray joined in the twitter feed. Here it is:


Seattle Schools ‏@seapubschools · 2h2 hours ago
No school tomorrow. We're excited a tentative agreement has been reached between SPS & @SeattleEA & hope for school to start Thursday.


Seattle Schools retweeted


Ed Murray ‏@MayorEdMurray · 3h3 hours ago  Seattle, WA
A tentative agreement reached between the district & teachers is welcome news for #Seattle families & students. http://murray.seattle.gov/mayor-statement-on-tentative-agreement-between-teachers-school-district/#sthash.ytdNfCz0.XFePZJ8F.dpbs

Why do I think this is a ploy for the union to give-in on testing issues? …


9/15/15, 2:58 PM
Jet City mom said…
its wrong to agree to a contract just for the sake of going back to work.
It would be better, to agree to an extension of current contract, and continue talking.
San Fransisco negotiated their contract for months.

http://thelowell.org/2014/12/12/teachers-approve-new-contract-with-first-raise-in-eight-years/
9/15/15, 3:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Big Question:

Is it just the SEA Representatives that vote on the contract

or do all SEA members vote on the contract?

-- Dan Dempsey
9/15/15, 3:06 PM
Anonymous said…
Nevermind the Big Question,

I found my answer on Open Thread Tuesday from Seattle Citizen.

Thanks,

Dan
9/15/15, 3:10 PM
seattle citizen said…
Bargaining team gives Tentative Agreement (TA) they like to Representative Assembly (RA - Building reps, 200 or so.) THEY decide, vote, on whether General Assembly (GA) might well vote "aye" on it. IF RA vote to move it to GA, they eould also, at same time, vote to SUSPEND the strike and school could restart. THEN (when the can quickly find a hall with room enough for 5000 people) SEA will schedule a GA, and all members will vote on the TA. Assuming it's a good TA, chances are GA will approve it, because, in my opinion, the trust bargaining team and RA. But they could vote it down, opening door to more strike or other actions.
9/15/15, 3:15 PM
seattle citizen said…
The RA meeting is underway now.
SPS totally jumped the gun. AFTER RA decides if the TA is acceptable (to them) THEN the strike would be suspended and the school's could open Thursday.
It's not certain RA will accept the TA. Pretty good chance: bargaining team will certainly make their case for it.
But maybe not. SPS got ahead of the process.
9/15/15, 3:26 PM
Anonymous said…
There are a few people live tweeting from the meeting and the folks from West Seattle Blog are out in the hallway waiting, apparently - we'll know soon enough I'm sure.

reader47
9/15/15, 3:34 PM
Anonymous said…
If the SEA says it had agreed then school will start. The votes are just ceremonial. The SEA leadership serves itself, not the teachers. Much like the district leadetship. At least the district doesn't pretend to represent us.

Frustrated Teacher
9/15/15, 3:59 PM
seattle citizen said…
Frustrated Teacher - has the SEA said school will start? Please point us to that SEA pronouncement.
9/15/15, 4:09 PM
Getting Annoyed said…
I just received this message from Ballard High School:

SEATTLE SCHOOLS ANNOUNCE THURSDAY START! TENTATIVE DEAL REACHED: Plans are underway for "the first day!" You can learn more by clicking here. Remember, the schedule for the first day will remain as originally planned:
9/15/15, 4:15 PM
Anonymous said…
Leadership on both sides have a history of offering crumbs and calling them cake. I hope the teachers don't get shafted by both sides.

-let me eat cake
9/15/15, 4:15 PM
Anonymous said…
It has been noted by other poster here - if it wasn't about the money then the redshirts would have agreed to the raise offered a week ago that is way better than most of the unwashed masses are going to get over the next three years. Let's see how the contract pans out. My guess is the redshirts end up with a more extravagant salary offer and have compromised on student issues. I understand it's a great talking point to say it's for the kids and not about the money, but we all aren't so naive to belive that anymore.
SPSPANPOTWC
9/15/15, 4:26 PM
Anonymous said…
I am saying that I am confident the SEA told SPS to go ahead and prepare to open because the SEA views member votes as being prefunctory. They know the membership will do what they are told to.

Frustrated teacher
9/15/15, 4:33 PM
monkeypuzzled said…
Chris Daniels ‏@ChrisDaniels5 5m5 minutes ago
Rich Wood, spokesperson for @seattleea, on a vote to end strike: "it's going to be a while": #SPSStrike
9/15/15, 4:49 PM
n said…
Don't be so sure, Frustrated teacher. A lot of us are not happy with leadership but we also respect that they were elected and we chose them to speak for us. They gave us ample opportunity to chime in during pre-bargaining meetings. Teacher said it was about working conditions. That's what I'm going to look at. Not money, not even the extra half-hour (20 min.for my school) but how they have enhanced our ability to teach kids. I know that our rep is not going to roll over. He is an intelligent guy who speaks up.

So let's be patient.
9/15/15, 5:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Interesting article on this from the Stranger:

http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/09/15/22862660/i-am-confused-and-just-got-hung-up-on-by-the-seattle-school-district

- Frustrated parent
9/15/15, 5:19 PM
GarfieldMom said…
SPSPANPOTWC said:
It has been noted by other poster here - if it wasn't about the money then the redshirts would have agreed to the raise offered a week ago that is way better than most of the unwashed masses are going to get over the next three years. Let's see how the contract pans out. My guess is the redshirts end up with a more extravagant salary offer and have compromised on student issues. I understand it's a great talking point to say it's for the kids and not about the money, but we all aren't so naive to belive that anymore.

I am happy to report that your guess is completely and utterly wrong. Nice try, though.
9/16/15, 3:40 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Garfield Mom, yup. The teachers that I spoke to never made it about their own salaries.

My guess is the majority of teachers would not really care about a raise if they received the supports they need to help their students (counselors, OT, Sped IAs, etc.)
9/16/15, 8:32 AM
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