Sobering Editorial On Seattle Schools' Teachers Contract

 A worthy effort from the Editorial Board of The Seattle Times yesterday, 

A high-stakes test for Seattle schools’ new boss: contract talks with teachers

The Seattle School Board could not be any clearer: Current negotiations with the teachers union must finish with a contract that ensures the financial stability of Seattle Public Schools.

That has not been the case in the past. So, this time, the school board put it in writing. SPS is mired in “a significant structural deficit,” its seven members said in a resolution approved unanimously last month. It directs Superintendent Ben Shuldiner to “address and eliminate” this problem.

The Times is right; the Board is clear in this resolution (partial):

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board directs the Superintendent to continue to engage in collective bargaining in good faith and in a manner that reflects mutual respect, transparency, and a collaborative approach with the District’s labor partners; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board directs the Superintendent to continue to negotiate agreements that advance the District’s long term fiscal well-being, recognizing that structural financial stability is in the best interests of serving students, supporting employees, and preserving public trust in Seattle Public Schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board reaffirms its commitment to collaborativelabor relations and to working in partnership with employees and their unions in service of students, families, and the Seattle community.

Are those last two paragraphs at odds? Maybe. 

The Times says:

It’s seven trustees signaling they will spurn any agreement with teachers resembling the one signed in 2022, which pushed SPS into a position where there was more money going out than coming in. That dynamic remains in effect today.

I concur. SEA should understand that and not go on strike. I have a feeling if they do, there will be no widespread "soup for teachers." Meaning, parents will be very upset.

What does the SEA say?

SEA vice president Davina Diaz seems confident that Olympia will send more money to Seattle next year. But it’s hard to see how negotiators can be so certain, since the state will likely face another multibillion-dollar budget hole, and Gov. Bob Ferguson has asked most agencies to propose cuts. True, he’s signaled an intention to hold education sacrosanct, but schools will be lucky to escape unscathed.

SEA says that they can't even get SPS to agree on "easy" issues that don't involve salaries.

I see from the SEA website that they are training picket captains on August 18th; I'm sure that's a "just in case, we'll be ready" kind of event.

Also, here is the SEA negotiating team and I'm happy to see a nurse in there. If the state would better fund schools, there could probably be a nurse in every school. Also glad to see someone from the Skills Center. 

Here are some of their "bargaining proposals."

For each of these proposals, the SEA bargaining team is considering them against the backdrop of what SPS can afford, how SEA’s contract compares with others in the area, and, for compensation, how it compares with the cost of living in King County.  Members identified significantly more areas for improvement than we have proposals. We are strategically focused on the most widely and deeply felt challenges and those that SPS has the capacity to address. 

Members identified significantly more areas for improvement than we have proposals. We are strategically focused on the most widely and deeply felt challenges and those that SPS has the capacity to address.

Among their wants:

- Early-release Wednesdays continuing

- "Reasonable class sizes" and they reject the idea they might get more pay for a bigger class. 

We need to create a true cap, beyond which the district must add staff or reduce the class size to ensure students have the opportunity to learn.

- But they DO want overage pay for these other members:

• Students need not just reasonable class sizes but also access to adequate physical, social, behavioral and emotional supports to succeed. Whether we’re psychologists, nurses, audiologists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, counselors, or social workers, we need to encourage the district to maintain reasonable caseloads and create economic incentives for them by ensuring overage pay.

- More support for Special Education in all directions. 

- Declaring "that the building and grounds of SPS are sanctuary space and that all staff be fully trained on how to respond should ICE invade our schools."

I'm not a lawyer but I would say that SPS has a right to be notified if ICE is coming and a right to know the names of the officers. No school wants some bulked-up strangers walking the halls of school and if it was any other group, the principal would say no. 

- Safety means both protecting our campuses and protecting our students’ privacy. We propose codifying where SPS can and can’t put surveillance cameras.

-Because of the costs of living in Seattle, they advocate for "higher percentage raises for Office Professionals and Paraprofessionals."

There are quotes from members of the negotiating team:

"We only have 9 steps on our pay schedule and so many of use are at the top. I have been there for 24 years."

 But there is also this:

"We need to ensure employees are paid a fair living wage for the work we perform daily, that we have safe working environments, and that we have job security and protections. 

It is extremely hard to exit a teacher so I'm confused what SEA wants? 

To note:

- It appears that SEA will have a General Membership meeting on Wednesday, August 26th at the Seattle Convention Center. 

- I've stated this before but the Board has no role in negotiations. They let their one employee - Superintendent Shuldiner - know their expectations.

- The current contract (which I believe was extended one year last year) expires on August 31st. From the Times:

That these discussions always happen with the new school year looming is no accident. For the union, it’s powerful leverage. And the SEA is rightly demanding smaller class sizes and better provisions for special education students.

- The Times points a huge difference from 2022 and 2026 and that is Shuldiner himself. Interestingly he is "participating personally in hammering out a deal..."

- Since 2012, at least half of negotiations with the SEA have resulted in members voting to hit the picket line. They actually did so in 2015 and 2022, delaying the start of school by five days in each case.

- SEA's last message to members was on July 23rd.