May 1st Strike?
In case you were not aware, there is a debate/discussion - among teachers and parents - about a May 1st strike/walkout. May 1st is International Workers' Day and one that is hugely celebrated throughout the world (although not so much in the U.S.)
The vote is to take place over this week and needs a three-fourths vote of SEA membership.
There is confusion, though, over the purpose of the strike. Some say it is in support of fully funding schools, others say it is about immigrants' rights and still others say it is a focus on social justice.
I saw on my Twitter feed today that Councilmembers Sawant and O'Brien say they are in support of the one-day strike. Here's their op-ed from the South Seattle Emerald.
As you can read below, there are differing opinions. From comments here, I don't see much support from parents. Here's what two different teachers have to say:
Jesse Hagopian - Garfield
Lyon Terry (former Washington State Teacher of the Year)
The vote is to take place over this week and needs a three-fourths vote of SEA membership.
There is confusion, though, over the purpose of the strike. Some say it is in support of fully funding schools, others say it is about immigrants' rights and still others say it is a focus on social justice.
I saw on my Twitter feed today that Councilmembers Sawant and O'Brien say they are in support of the one-day strike. Here's their op-ed from the South Seattle Emerald.
As you can read below, there are differing opinions. From comments here, I don't see much support from parents. Here's what two different teachers have to say:
Jesse Hagopian - Garfield
I love my union. And I love public education. And that is why I am willing to make the necessary sacrifices and vote YES to strike on May Day--International Workers' Day. We have tried emailing, calling and asking nicely for the legislature to follow the law and fund education. That hasn't worked.
The one day strike we did two years ago was highly effective in that it built mass solidarity between teachers and parents and laid the groundwork for our successful strike last year that, among other things, won race and equity teams in some 30 schools. Without that one day strike we wouldn't have had the confidence or experience to fight for more. And this one day strike has the potential to have a much bigger impact than the last one because the King County Labor Council has passed a resolution calling on locals to protest and even strike on May Day.
Many unions are looking to SEA to see if we strike. If we do, others could follow and it could become a mass outpouring of labor solidarity that truly has the power to shake up the 1% an the politicians and make them heed our demands for education and union rights.
In addition to all of that, the May first coalition has called on workers to strike for immigrant rights on May Day and there will be a massive outpouring of humanity at a rally that day to stand against trumps policies. All the anti immigrant rhetoric and deportations are demoralizing our students, splitting them apart from their families, and leading to hate crimes. We as educators should join the struggle for immigrant rights and see that as a vital component to a better education system. I'm not content to teach students about the mass strikes, and boycotts of the past that won social programs--I know we actually need to bring back that history and make it real for our students by demonstrating what it looks like in practice.
For all these reasons and more, now is the time to show the power of collective activism. Vote to strike. If you are a parent, support the teachers who do. Together we can build a mass mobilization that is more powerful than the money that rich have to buy politicians who continue to refuse to do their constitutional duty.
Lyon Terry (former Washington State Teacher of the Year)
I love my union. It protects teachers and kids and advocates for the rights of teachers and kids. I thought we did the right thing to strike in 2015.
But, I will vote NO for a one day walkout on May 1st.
My reasons:
1. The last one day walkout in 2015 was fun and seemed powerful, but it made little difference.
2. We are not clear on a targeted message.
3. It is disruptive to student learning and family schedules.
4. Our efforts would be much better utilized if every one of us were to take that time to:
a. Learn something positive about the Governor's Education Proposal. http://www.governor.wa.gov/…/f…/documents/Education12_15.pdf
b. Learn something positive about the House budget that comes out on Monday.
c. Learn something about the Senate Republican Budget (there is lots to dislike). http://src.wastateleg.org/…/Education-Equality-Act-Summary.…
d. Communicate your likes and dislikes to your legislator and/or the people on the education or ways and means committees.
Call the legislature: 800.562.6000.
email: http://app.leg.wa.gov/memberemail/
All info can be found here as well: http://leg.wa.gov/LIC/Pages/hotline.aspx
Our collective efforts definitely matter. But, this proposed walkout is not the correct strategy.
Comments
STUDENTS
A strike would negatively impact students and families. It would be more than a mere "inconvenience." Please keep your personal politics out of the classroom.
Vote NO
-SPSparent
-Wondering
Hagopian and SEE's answer to everything is to protest and organize walk-outs. Garfield high school students have already walked out to protest Trump:
http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2016/11/14/24691199/seattle-students-walk-out-of-classrooms-in-protest-of-trump
If it were up to SEE, Seattle's students would be walking out of school every other day. These guys are extremely lazy. If they wanted to organize, they would organize a student led walk-out and they would work to get Republicans out of Olympia. They would really organize. They would go into the districts of Tea Party Republicans and support other candidates.
These guys act like they are leading the effort to protect immigrants- they are not.
The people that will get hurt the most are working families and poor families that need child care, and underperforming students.
I hope SEE's protest gets shot down.
As well, SEE has no clear message.
It would also make sense for teachers to strike for more pay on May 1 if they want to. Teachers are workers and May 1 would be a very apt time for that. But they had a strike at the beginning of the school year two years ago when they negotiated the current contract that they're about 1/2 way through. Right? Why are they striking for more pay for one day in the middle of a three year contract?
If the strike is for immigrant rights, why is it a teacher strike? Immigrants make up an important part of all aspects of our society. And immigration-related legal issues are by no means limited to students in schools. Immigrant rights should encompass far more: health care, banking, jobs, legal protections, a path to citizenship, tenant rights, etc. I don't really see why public school teachers in one school district have standing to ditch work to protest for something that is, albeit very important, but actually not related to their work. If teachers want to strike for immigrant rights, they should do this in their free time, not when they're supposed to be at work.
And social justice could for sure use some attention in SPS. But it should include outcome analysis, gender equality, diversity in the teaching staff, special ed inclusion, an advanced learning program that allows public school kids to compete to their full abilities, district-wide assistance for students who have suffered trauma, help for schools to better address social inequalities that live large in the hallways and classrooms and school lives of children and young people, etc. And this one-day strike is nowhere close to even expressing what an inclusive social justice movement would look like for the 72% of children in this city who don't go to private school. This movement is not ready to strike yet. It's still incubating. Oh, beloved School Board, when will it be born?
Students have the most to loose.
Students First
Vote NO
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/dates_fees/index.html
GP
Problem solved
Problem solved, undocumented persons may not have the same rights as U.S. citizens but they do have rights. You need to go read the law.
SPED staffer
Kudos to staff who voted against the walk out.
-!Anti
A Gal
Schools have way more respurces and goodies than when I was in school in the suburbs.
We did not have art, we did not have a gym, we barely had band music, it was in a supply closet.
Class sizes were managable I guess at 32, but we did not have a staffed library most days, same with nursing staff, and no counselor.
We got by.
Because of the May Day protest, any teacher strike will be assumed to be part of that rally.
It turned nasty last year, if I remember right.
Planning Ahead
"Seattle’s teachers voted Monday to hold a one-day strike, joining colleagues in about two dozen other school districts that have staged or are planning similar walkouts to pressure state lawmakers to budget more money for lower class sizes and higher teachers’ wages."
In April:
"On April 25 — a Saturday — more than 4,000 teachers and their supporters traveled to Olympia to rally on the steps of the state Capitol’s legislative building. "
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/seattle-teachers-call-1-day-walkout-over-state-budget/
Rallys, walk-outs and strikes have not funded education. Why strike?
"While I understand the teachers' frustrations with the Legislature, I'm not sure I agree with the walkout. If it was done in coordination with other unions on one day at the Legislature, it might have some punch. But this way, I think it loses any punch it might have had. And I don't think legislators will even be paying attention."
http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2015/05/seattle-school-district-updates.html
Another strike or walk out will not impact the legislature.
Greenwoody
It's all well and good to assume everyone managed just fine, but it is an assumption. It may not be true for everyone.
kitty
Personally, I don't care if they strike or not. My student would learn more at home than at school anyway, and someone could be home to watch him. But we would definitely stage a student counter-strike on the day added to the end of the school year.
-Parent
Pop
-Parent
Fed up
Families will have to pay for child care. It is time for teachers to strike on their own dime. What is the financial cost of striking to a teacher- nothing.
Fund education
My understanding is that the vote phrasing is the strike passes if approved by "75% of members who vote" not of membership. So if 10 people vote and 8 vote yes then it's a strike. The wording was, to me, anti-democratic to begin with. Normally we require 50%+1 of membership to approve a strike. However, that item among other things was never codified into policy by leadership so we now have this vote which may or may not be going on in every building in the district.
I voted no as well and am disillusioned that fellow members would create such an obviously anti-democratic motion.
Now if I'm wrong and it's been determined that the vote requires 75% of membership then that is wonderful.
I think a purposeless, disorganized, and knee-jerk strike will only hurt our community. Especially when you look at what might need to happen if McCleary isn't funded in the 2018/19 school year.
Good times.
-Theo Moriarty
Grow up!
FWIW
It's very disturbing to hear the rules around the vote are murky and undefined. Moves like this make me think SEE is more concerned about pushing their personal agendas rather than truly supporting the education of students.
Vote NO
Be clear and up front with public school parents and the community about WHY you are doing this and WHAT you want to achieve and HOW this event will help achieve it. Lack of transparency is a central reason why parents do not trust SPS administration. It would be very sad if the same thing happens with our teacher corps, thanks to a small but very vocal group.
To be clear, my family and I have participated in marches and rallies this year. They feel good. But they don't take the place of the hard work necessary to really enact change and put pressure to power.
Concerned parent
A student counter strike on the extra last day of school added to make up for this is a great idea :-)
I also felt that the organizers did not truly understand and appreciate the political climate in Olympia. I strongly feel that Seattle Public Schools would SUFFER from a strike. Many in Olympia don't like Seattle, Seattle is being expected to fund the rest of the state, Republicans and some Democrats would not support a strike. Many of our elected officials want children and school and they do not want families struggling for child care etc. I felt a strike would promote anti-union sentiment and charter schools, and would hurt Democrats trying to fund education.
Parents supported a strike and a strike was settled with the promise of McCleary being funded. As a result Seattle may need to close a large financial gap and the district is being considered irresponsible by those in Olympia. I felt Seattle leading another strike would be detrimental to Seattle's interests; Seattle would absolutely be mocked by some in Olympia.
The issue of AP exams beginning on May 1st was another concern.
Comments about media attention and disorganized attempt to strike resonates with me. Let's see what happens. I'm interested in the manner in which votes are counted.
curious parent
What does it cost teachers to walk out for a day? Nothing.
You often get what you pay for.
(In this case, I suspect it might actually cost teachers the support and goodwill of many parents).
A leading Republican has filed an amendment to the budget:
"EFFECT: Legislative intent is declared to ensure continued operation of public schools and compensation of public school staff. If a judicial ruling orders public school closures or invalidates state appropriations for public schools, the Governor is authorized to direct the Treasurer to permit expenditures from the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA) for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to allocate to school districts under basic education funding formulae."
There is no doubt in my mind that a strike would precipitate a negative response from Olympia- especially if Seattle is leading the effort and Seattle is the ONLY participating group of teachers. No doubt, Seattle Equity Educators would claim resounding success. Would Seattle Equity Educators be willing to accept reponsibility for negative and punitive response from Olympia? I don't think so.
Of course. I believe in solidarity. Without it we have nothing. As far as I know, we will be making it up. But, either way, of course. One has to look beyond ones self interest. Europe has learned many lessons in their much longer history and tragedies. They are far more involved politically and we have much to learn from them. Sometimes I think teachers - more often women in my experience - either don't know or have forgotten the history of working people and what it takes to make change. Suburbs of Seattle have been far stronger when striking - out longer and more demanding. Pretty sad in my opinion.
Women work. Hard. They know what working is all about. I've seen it in some of the meanest places on Earth and just as prominently in fair, educated liberal Seattle. Women know what it takes to make changes and what happens when things don't change. They know all this because they bear the burden and the consequences.
King County, land of the progressives, has the widest gender wage gap in Washington and women in this city already ranked poorly among major metropolitan areas in the US. Not a surprise.
http://www.seattlemag.com/news-and-features/gender-wage-gap-wider-king-county-elsewhere-washington-state
Problem here isn't women forgetting history or don't know about working people. It's dealing with the self serving hypocrisy which cloaks so cleverly the sexism and discrimination that is deeply entrenched in this city's culture and institutions. I can see why you stated those things.
worker bee