What Will Final SEA Vote Be on New Contract?
I'm hearing some dissension in the rank-and-file but I don't know how widespread it is. This from the Soup for Teachers group:
My brother is a teacher in the district. He made this visual to make it clear how much the teachers are being asked to give up on compensation. He said teachers at his school are strongly considering a "no" vote on Sunday.
Understand, the strike is suspended right now, not ended. If enough teachers say no, it's back to a strike.
Now naturally, everyone wants this done but if teachers don't feel satisfied, they may say no to the deal. I doubt it because of the spin it will get from the district and the media (not to mention the ire of parents) but it's a possibility (just as the charter law ruling was a possibility that no one wanted to believe could happen).
My brother is a teacher in the district. He made this visual to make it clear how much the teachers are being asked to give up on compensation. He said teachers at his school are strongly considering a "no" vote on Sunday.
Understand, the strike is suspended right now, not ended. If enough teachers say no, it's back to a strike.
Now naturally, everyone wants this done but if teachers don't feel satisfied, they may say no to the deal. I doubt it because of the spin it will get from the district and the media (not to mention the ire of parents) but it's a possibility (just as the charter law ruling was a possibility that no one wanted to believe could happen).
Comments
If the argument is that we need to lay off many administrators in order to pay for teachers, then this just feels like fighting over scraps. But I haven't heard that argument being made by SEA. Actually, I haven't heard any argument made over where this money would come from.
This chart indicates teachers are "working" 100 extra minutes a week. But are they? Or are they teaching an net extra 22-25 minutes a week per the district with the hour late/early once a week?
Second, does it really matter how much SPS came up/SEA came down? Depends on your perspective of course. Was SPS low balling their offer massively? If you believe that, then likely they didn't come up enough. Was SEA's proposal remotely reasonable? If you believe that, they came down too much. I can see why teachers are mad if they thought they'd get a 21% raise, but for many of us who haven't seen 7% pay raises ever without significant responsibility changes, those kind of raises just looked laughable.
And what happens next? Our schools are largely still falling apart, we still don't have enough space for all of our students and sped ratios aside, our classrooms still primarily have principals and teachers who don't support inclusion (in my experience). What will the next ops levy look like? I expect it to be painfully high and layered upon the planned BEX IV and transportation levies - ouch.
North Seattle
- Wondering
Having the kid out of school is of little consequence for my family, but for many parents I'd bet having the schools shut down again after two days would test their loyalty to the teachers. Since they've proven they're willing to strike, I'd think they could use that as a credible threat against the district in continuing negotiations as a bomb they're able to throw, but just haven't quite yet.
Scrawny Kayaker
I have two reasons to question this levy. One is that I cannot get an answer about whether this levy will have programs that compete, compliment or overlap with other programs from the state and city. I don't want to vote for any levy that isn't clearly different and reaching kids who are otherwise not served.
The other reason - and I've said this before - is that we now have at least 1/3 of our property tax in levies. Parks, libraries, emergency service, roads, schools - all good things. But how much can we all take on? Given that we are arguing over affordable housing, don't we have to consider our fellow citizens who may be poor or be on a fixed income like seniors?
So we have the $900M+ City transportation levy plus KC's kid levy and then, come Feb. the two renewing school district levies. Those two levies are likely to go up (not down even with McCleary dollars coming in) so probably $850M.
Can Seattle voters really say yes to all this? I don't think so.
Some people were contemplating voting no until we learned if we vote no, we start all over bargaining with a clean slate. If that is true, then everyone I know will vote yes for the contract.
Even though we did get a lot, it was a negotiation process and I think people are dealing with their disappointment about what we did not get. My issue was the extended day, so I am more disappointed than folks whose issue was testing.
Teacher here
The images of teachers giving blood on 9/11, last Friday, seems almost prophetic in retrospect.
-PragmaticQueen
Thanks for bringing-up the issues of levy funding. I need to learn and understand more about this issue. As I understand it, the state imposes a levy cap. How much is the cap and where are we?
Seattle and King County both want funding for prek and transportation.
I recall hearing suggestions for a levy to fund police and fire.
Some in the state legislature are proposing a levy swap to fund education. This means that Seattle Public Schools stands to loose tens of millions of dollars- and our present levy is expiring.
A lot of questions, here.
KamAgain?
SPED staffing ratios are unacceptable. For the district, reducing a teacher here and there or swapping a cert for an IA is not much, but to the individuals- both students and other school staff - the loss is great. My SPED colleagues and students need and should have more support, not less.
The biggest problem for me is the time added to the school day. My teenager needs to be starting school closer to 9 than 8. Though this added time is a change for the third year, it will kill the current move toward healthy start times. There is research and global trend in favor of moving to later starts- where are these for additional seat time?
I would hope that the general assembly votes the TA down- but we want to be in the classroom. If only the TA could be voted down, but school stays in session while negotiations continue.
Whatever happens: I am moved by the support shown by the parent community during the strike. Wow! You have been. Your support is restorative.
If the TA passes, please, families- use this togetherness and momentum you have to apply pressure to the district over start times. Do not let this issue die- some of you have already worked hard on this issue- let's make it happen.
Teacher and Parent
When the numbers actually get applied to the salary formula, the effective total raise is 11.8%.
SPS came up 2.57% from their original numbers, and SEA came down 9.85%.
No, the percentages don't match up to what you get if you just start adding the percentages together. The formula doesn't work that way.
There's a teacher working on modeling the numbers also. Sounds like he plans to get the info together in order to share with other SEA members.
Beyond the Wall
That being said, it would be horrible if that were to happen.
I, for one, supported the teachers going on strike (even though it made my first grade daughter cry), because it did not appear that the district was bargaining in good faith prior to the strike. Now that a contract has been agreed to by the negotiating committee and the RA, it is clear that the district made some concessions, and presented a deal that many felt was reasonable enough. If the strike resumes after the kids are back in school for two days, it will (a) be extremely upsetting to kids who have been waiting for school to restart, (b) be extremely disruptive to parents and families, and (c) make the teachers appear to be the ones not bargaining in good faith.
JustADad
Does anyone know, if that day after the last day get added back into this one?
-Memories
It is not a 9.5% raise! 0.5% is earmarked for extra work in year three. That leaves 9.0%. However, that 9.0% is multiplied by the approximately 80% state contribution to Seattle teacher wages. 9.0% of 80% = 7.2% wage adjustment! Divide that by 3 contract years and the annual increase is 2.4% to overall wages.
We went on strike for a 2.4% per year wage adjustment when we started negotiating at 7% Huh? We were told by our strike coordinators to hold the line for 5.0%. This is embarrassing. The SEA leadership is acting like the generals at the close of the Vietnam War: claim victory and run (even when you lost).
And, stop adding the state COLA's to the final negotiated figures. You can't dip twice. They are already factored into the 80% state contribution.
Current inflation rates are low because the Federal Reserve is pumping billions of dollars into the economy (out of thin air). That will end soon. Usually, inflation runs (on average) 3.18%. Factor in skyrocketing healthcare costs, competition for affordable housing (Amazon immigrants), and transportation, and teachers in Seattle will continue to go backwards (as has been the case since about 2007).
Our building is voting no on Sunday.
Enough Already
I am still holding out for our state supreme court to shut down all the schools in the state until we get adequate funding.
And another thing: has anyone out there ever made a good decision after staying up all night? Anyone?
- oy
South-end Sped
south-end sped
South-end Sped
We are not getting an 11.8% raise on our total salary. Teacher salary is very complex. Some comes from state (base pay) some comes from district. Seattle's base pay contribution is 11th in the state. Yet, we teach in the most expensive area. I make less as a mid-career teacher than I did 8 years ago teaching in another district. Interestingly enough, the pay increase was at the bottom of my list & has little to with how I vote-- there were much more important issues on the table. The pay doesn't bother me-- even though I am a single parent with over $100,000 in studebt debt. I love my job. I love giving back to my community. Capital gain is not a primary reinforcer for me, as my primary needs are being met. I live a simple life. I don't have a savings account, I don't own a house, I commute 1 hour or more both ways to get to work, and I work with our most vulnerable population (low income, special education). Do I struggle? Yes. Do I make sacrifices? Yes. Do I accept this? Yes. I get it-- we live in a capitalistic society and I provide a social service. Therefore my pay is not guided by the princioles of the free market. What bothers me is the limited understanding by all-- teachers, media, community members-- of what this pay "increase" means. I wish that it would be covered objectively. I wish that it would be based on something meaningful. Yet at the same time, I'm so tired of hearing about it. It's exhausting. I guess I'm venting. Strike is not fun. I was not striking for money. To have it minimal used to this sucks. It makes me feel like I should stop caring and go else where-- private practice, neighboring district. But I love the city I grew up in...
Frustrated
COLA does factor in more than once (not quite a double-dip), because if the base goes up one year, that's the starting point for the next year's calculations.
The state contribution isn't 80%, it's closer to 70% now (every year, the state contribution percentage for teacher salaries has been decreasing). Even so, they don't calculate salary increases by applying the percentages that way. You're actually looking at more like a 3.9% average increase, assuming the legislature does nothing by 2017-18. The original offer from SPS was about 2.59% average per year; the original proposal from SEA was about 6.7% average per year.
I do stand corrected on the numbers in my comment from earlier, thanks to Kate on another post. I knew the figures coming out from both sides were simplistic, but I didn't think that they would say 0% when they actually should have said -1.8%. The COLA passed by the legislature is 3% and 1.8%. But of those increases, only 1.8% in year 1 and 1.2% in year 2 are annual COLA as defined by I-732. The remainder (1.2% and .6%) is only in effect for one biennium, then it expires.
The numbers I've seen from BOTH sides (SPS/SEA) say 3%, 2%, 4.5%, plus COLA of 3%, 1.8%, for a total of 14.3%. (Again, this is faulty math, but let's stick with their math for a minute.) What they should have said is 3%, 2%, 4.5%, with COLA of 3%, 1.8%, -1.8%, for a total of 12.5%. Yes, there might be a COLA in 2017-18, but I hope no one is counting those chickens until they hatch. So what looks on paper like a 4.8% COLA increase is actually only 2.97% over the term of the contract if the legislature does nothing.
But you SHOULD NOT pay attention to those numbers at all if what you care about is what the numbers will actually be on the salary schedules, i.e., you want to look at your step/lane on the schedule and figure out what you'll make in year 1, 2, 3. As Frustrated says, the pay is complex. I did have another person confirm the formula I'm using, so I'm still pretty comfortable with it, although the district has put actual sample salary figures on their website (based on their last offer before the TA) that are so far over what I'm projecting that I think I should double check again before I publish the new projections. Either I've missed something or they're smoking something.
http://www.seattlewea.org/images/static_content/CONTRACTS/Comparison%20of%20raises%20with%20other%20large%20school%20districts.pdf
Teacher/Parent
Observer
Phinneywood Parent
Option 1: Reject TA and go back on strike. This will backfire as SEA will lose most, though not all, of its public support, especially now that school has started. Parents won't be happy at suddenly having to scramble again to find child care, particularly when news reports and SEA itself painted the contract as a significant victory. The momentum behind the strike has already dissipated and by Monday, when a strike would resume, that momentum would be almost totally gone. The media would spin the teachers' actions as ridiculous, and whether that's fair or not, many parents would believe it. Pressure on SEA to end a new strike would be intense. If this path is followed, the resulting TA will be worse than what was just achieved.
Option 2: Reject TA and continue bargaining but continue working. This avoids the loss of public support that would result from going back on strike. But it also would sacrifice the existing gains in the TA as well as giving up the leverage of a strike, which is what forced the district to cave as much as it did for this TA (even if they didn't cave enough in the end). If this path is followed, the resulting TA will probably be about the same as exists now, though probably with more wages but less policy concessions (the student growth rating, for example, might return).
Option 3: Ratify the existing TA. It's not as good as it could have been, but it's better than what would have happened without a strike and without public mobilization. And it puts the union in a strong position to keep fighting for gains, whether in a new contract negotiation or by allying with parents to pressure the district. Plus there will be four new board members come November, which could substantially change the district's behavior on key issues. If this path is followed, the existing TA would be a building block for an even bigger victory next time around.
Option 3 looks like the best to me and I will be voting to ratify on Sunday. I respect my colleagues who want to continue fighting, but they are very wrong if they believe that a resumed strike would have the same amount of public support as we had last week. It just won't, and we need to be very clear about that before moving ahead.
Secondary Teacher
We will lose parent support if we vote to continue the strike. Also, at least at my school fewer and fewer teachers were showing up to picket each day. The district knows that will happen and it puts them in a much better bargaining position.
Is it a great TA? No. But we will only lose if we continue the strike.
Try again in three years when the legislature may have started to do their job a little better.
From what I am hearing from my colleagues and from other buildings there is a very real chance the general membership may vote against this TA.
BUT there might be something off on those numbers. I don't exactly trust the SPS and certainly not the board. They have made very little effort to release information to the public. (Shame on them- I thought Larry was a peace maker?!) In his Friday memo 20150904 he compared district offer of 13% to SEA 22% both including COLA. I think the COLA has confused everyone and no one is comparing the right numbers, BUT there is not enough information made public to say that for sure.
We have to keep the momentum of the parents going and really push for change at the Legislative level. Clearly, our elected officials don't see education as a priority and we have to remind them that it is a priority.
Seriously?
Children are back in school and there are emotional highs/lows for children starting/stopping school. SEA had a lot of goodwill, which, I believe, will erode with a NO vote.
I hope SEA membership votes YES.