Latest From SPS and SEA on Teacher Contract
In brief:
- Both parties are continuing to negotiate.
- SPS has offered an MOU so school can start on Wednesday. SEA has rejected it. Partial:
The MOU would confirm: Agreement to start school for grades 1-12 on time this Wednesday, while both parties continue negotiating a contract to replace the one that expired on Aug. 31. SPS and SEA have been negotiating a contract since early June. The current terms and conditions in the collective bargaining agreements shall remain in effect until an agreement is reached.
How do you feel about SEA rejecting the MOU? I can see how it may look good from the SPS side but dragging negotiations on and on is not good for anyone and maybe SPS thinks this is a war of attrition.
On SEA's Facebook page, it is stated:
The update from SEA does say that they were bargaining Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday. The district info says the same.Also:
Labor Day SEA Strike PrepThis Labor Day, let's unite and fight for our students and our families.
Nobody wants to strike, but SPS has forced us to. As educators we have a responsibility to stand up for our students and ourselves. We have to fight for our vision for a better SPS. Last year was riddled with shortages, burnout, and unmet student needs. When we win a new contract, it will make improvements for years to come.
Join SEA Picket Captains, fellow SEA members, and community leaders as we get a quick update, make picket signs, and start getting them out across the city. Bring your family!
We're united and strong and we will be ready if SPS forces us to strike!
From the Seattle Public Schools website:
On Sunday, Sept. 4, Seattle Public Schools asked the Seattle Education Association (SEA), to consider a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would have guaranteed an on-time start to school, while allowing negotiations to continue in earnest. At this time, SEA has rejected the proposed MOU.
At this time, SEA has rejected the proposed MOU. Starting school on Wednesday is what is best for our students. We understand this uncertainty about a delay is difficult and unsettling for our students, staff, and families. We hope that SEA will reconsider this MOU and sign it before Tuesday.
The MOU would confirm: Agreement to start school for grades 1-12 on time this Wednesday, while both parties continue negotiating a contract to replace the one that expired on Aug. 31. SPS and SEA have been negotiating a contract since early June. The current terms and conditions in the collective bargaining agreements shall remain in effect until an agreement is reached.
The full text of SPS’ proposed memorandum of understanding:
SPS has zero on its Twitter page about negotiations which seems odd to me.
SPS' Facebook page has the same happy stories as on Twitter but on Facebook, they are getting comments and questions.
This is great - but are you opening school on schedule next week?
Hey Seattle Public Schools, we are all signed up for messages that apparently you aren’t sending, like what the heck you are doing by not showing up to talk to teachers, and why our kids are at risk for not going back to school on time. My ringer is on…
I got an email today. My interpretation is that the Seattle Public Schools District is trying to use our children as bargaining chips to coarse the SEA into starting school without coming to an agreement. Give the SEA what they’re asking for! They deserve that and much more! Stop trying to blame the potential late start on them.
Been getting phone messages for years for my student……a high volume of messages. My number has not changed, but I haven’t received a single message recently.
We all got the message that, once again, you can't find a compromise with SEA to get school started on time. Everyone take a look at how much money we pay these people to literally fail, again and again, at everything they are supposed to be doing.
And this interesting one:
But why Washington Middle School in the CD is the trashes in the SPS system? ALL YEAR LONG THO
But why Washington Middle School in the CD is the trashes in the SPS system? ALL YEAR LONG THO
Comments
Face Palm
The teachers' labor union negotiates for the best possible conditions for teachers. Period. Sometimes that is the same thing as what's best for kids. Sometimes not.
Case 1:
Remember when Seattle was the first urban school system in the country to close due to the coronavirus and then teachers fought to keep students out, even the disabled ones. They fought hard for over a year to keep kids out of schools. 62% of SEA members in Jan 2021 wanted schools to remain closed until educators could be fully vaccinated. And 37% of SEA members didn't want to open at all during the 2020-21 school year regardless of vaccinations. It took the governor to intervene.
Case 2:
The union defends abusive teachers. That's not what's best for kids.
Unions are great for the workers they represent. Better working conditions for teachers will often mean better learning conditions for kids. But not always. Only when what's good for kids aligns with what teachers want, which is not all the time.
Not Equal
I even know a family with a kid in 10th grade who left Hale to join North Seattle CC: they had to pay for it themselves, but the fit was way better for their student.
Community college via running start is free, arguably a better education than a teacher in a high school with 30 kids/class can provide, can give you two years worth of credits to apply to a university dramatically cutting the cost of a 4 year degree, and offers a much wider course selection that SPS.
Registering now might be a little bit tricky with high school counselors not at their desks, but for sure there is a way, you can work with the Sps center for education excellence directly to get the paperwork done. Each community college has a particular group of advisers who works with Running Start, and they can provide you with further details as to how to make it happen right now. Persist! Do it! You’ll be glad you did.
BREAKFREE
I think it is the special high school student that can make substituting community college for high school work. Most cc students are older, distracted by adult things like first careers or children, and there isn’t much social scene for a teen. I’ll consider pulling my own teen for cc if this strike is prolonged, but skipping high school altogether isn’t the ideal solution for a district circling the drain. Stay engaged, parents.
11th Hour
Your comments are true enough, but a reminder than RS can be part-time, so they could take some classes at the high school still, and they would still do high school extracurriculars if they want - sports, clubs etc. It's not like you have to leap 100% into CC.
RS Possibilities
FWIW she had a pretty good experience doing a blended schedule of 3 high school classes + clubs and 2 RS classes last year -- enabled her to still have engagement with her HS friends while challenging herself and getting a bit more confidence with college level work.