Back to school (finally)

Did your child’s school open on time?

For an estimated 125,000 students in Washington, it did not. Across the state, schools were closed at the start of the year due to teacher strikes, thanks to disagreements between school districts and union leaders over the size of salary increases from the so-called McLeary money. The last strike ended on September 17.

The blame game was in high gear in districts that saw prolonged strikes. Some blamed lack of leadership from the State School Superintendent, local school districts and school boards. Others pointed to hard-bargaining tactics by teacher union leaders, while still others faulted the legislature for revisions made to school funding laws in 2018 that created confusion.

The opaque nature of the bargaining process made it almost impossible for parents and the community to understand much of what was transpiring in these contract talks. In some districts, that meant parents were left wondering why teacher union leaders were saying one thing while their district leaders were saying another.

Moving forward, more transparency in contract negotiations would go a long way towards building community support and possibly help avoid strikes. The Pullman School District recently moved in that direction, opening up bargaining to public observation in 2017.

As the Seattle Times editorial board observed: “Transparency benefits those involved in negotiations as well as the public. Disclosing terms ensures that all sides know what’s on the table and prevents either side from sharing skewed information.”

Did your school board ask you what you think?

Sep 26 by Beth Sigall Leave a Comment

Starting in June and continuing through today, school boards across the state have been voting up or down on new teacher contract agreements.

This evening the Centralia School District School Board will vote on whether to approve a new teacher contract.

Centralia was one of many districts that saw schools closed at the start of the school year due to teacher strikes. These strikes were the result of disagreements over the size of salary increases the union believed teachers were owed from the so-called McLeary money from the state.

Overall, an estimated 125,000 students in Washington did not start school on time due to strikes across the state. The last strike ended on September 17. Other districts managed to negotiate agreements for teacher pay raises with union leaders without closing down schools.

Explaining his thinking – In an email to the community (reprinted below) and on his Facebook page, Centralia School Board Director Jami Lund shared his views on the proposed agreement, including specific reasons why he is considering a “No” vote. He also provides an email contact for community members to share their thoughts on the contract prior to the vote.

We want to hear from you

Did your school board member(s) reach out to you directly via email or similar contact to share their views on your district’s proposed contract, prior to their voting “Yes” or “No?
How were you provided a meaningful opportunity as a community member to review the proposal, ask questions (with enough time to get a response), give comment or otherwise share your thoughts prior to your school board vote? Were you expected to find the contract proposal (or a summary) on the district website on your own? Was it an item on a meeting agenda? Something else?

Because elected school boards represent “a continuing commitment to local citizen control and decision-making in education” we want to learn more about how school boards communicated with the community about their new teacher contracts prior to voting for or against them (strikes or not). Director Lund’s email is a good example of how one school board member explained his thinking. We’d love to see and share more like it, no matter that school board director’s views.

Let us know in the comments or email us at [email protected]

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Draft union contract is up for a vote of the school board

On Wednesday, September 26, the elected school board will consider the teachers’ union contract which was tentatively drafted in the pressure cooker of children being denied the state’s paramount duty.

I am leaning toward voting “no” on the union contract, and I wanted to make sure you hear why in time to let me know your thoughts.I have several objections to the draft proposal.The draft contract is unfair. Only one interest is reflected in the document — that of the highest paid educators (who happen to be the only interest represented in the secret negotiating sessions).

The draft contract is unfair to young teachers. Those who earn the least and who are most likely to be raising a family received increases of between $5,000 and $10,000. A starting teacher with a Master’s degree gets a 12% raise. Highest paid teachers received 24% raises and over $19,000. Some selected teachers get 32% raises. Under the draft, some teachers would literally be paid twice as much as other teachers for the same work expectations.

The draft contract is unfair to our other critical employees who struggle financially. The district finds it difficult to hire bus drivers, but these and other critical classified employees will only be receiving a 5% raise. More is not possible if all discretionary funds are going to give average $13,000 raises to the also-critical educators.

The draft contract is unfair to families. Despite having the resources this year to truly enhance the services families receive, services would actually decline with the draft proposal. Previously, teachers’ enhanced pay assured that nine days’ worth of professional improvement and professional responsibility would be accomplished. The new contract only requires six additional days’ service to our great cause. Class sizes remain unchanged, the calendar of student learning is unchanged, and supplemental services for students falling behind are unchanged.

The draft contract is unfair to taxpayers. The voter-approved levy funds are for a wide range of services. School levies assure things like electives, supplemental education for students falling behind, sports programs, extra staff to help monitor students, building maintenance and other services. The proposal would spend millions to add to the state-provided salary. These funds would come from our finite voter-approved levies –- levies which will be reduced significantly in 2019.

The draft contract is financially irresponsible. The state provided 15% more for teacher salaries raising them from $55,705 to $65,216. The proposal lifts average salary to $73,902. The price tag of adding another $8,686 to the state money for all wages is $1.8 million in the first year. The district would need to spend our savings account to cover payroll in a year when we have a multi-million dollar high school remodel with all of its uncertainty.

Finally, the draft contract is illegal. State law in RCW 28A.400.200 prohibits the use of levies for general teacher salary starting September 1, 2019. The only allowed wage enhancements are for documented responsibilities, duties, or time. In violation of the law, the proposal explicitly gives additional pay for no documented time or tasks, yet it cannot possibly be funded without the use of the levy.

I know that educators are the most important part of getting students ready for life, and I want to demonstrate that value with salary improvements. I do not believe this contract represents the best interest of the whole community. As much as I might want to give teachers a 32% raise, I also want to look after the needs of the younger teachers, give raises to classified staff, expand the services to families, and keep the state’s promise to taxpayers.

The Centralia School District Board of Directors is your voice in this process of setting priorities for the education services the district provides. Our chance to reflect your intentions will be Wednesday evening.

Let us know if you have thoughts about the upcoming vote on the draft contract by emailing [email protected] or come to speak at Wednesday’s school board meeting. If the board is inclined, we can go back to the bargaining table and try to get a deal which reflects all values.

If you are into charts and graphs, I’ve put a couple below. I would be happy to document anything or to provide more information.

Jami Lund
Follow on Facebook here.

Tacoma lawmakers weigh in on teacher strike, funding formulas

Sep 11 by Beth Sigall Leave a Comment

Here’s a letter sent yesterday (Sept. 10) to the superintendent of Tacoma School District from Tacoma area legislators addressing the teacher strike there.
From the letter: “We recognize that the funding formula agreed upon in 2017 disproportionately affected Tacoma Public Schools and a few other districts. We aim to fix these inequities in the 2019 legislative session because we want to keep salaries competitive to attract and retain great teachers and staff.”

Today is the fourth day schools in Tacoma have been closed.

Ending the cycle of teacher strikes in Washington

Aug 19 by Rob McKenna Leave a Comment

The situation parents in Kent face is just one of many like it around the state. Schools there are scheduled to start Aug. 30, but the teachers union in Kent is prepared to strike if its salary demands aren’t met – even though teacher strikes are illegal.

Keep in mind, the current Kent contract runs through this upcoming school year. The union is threatening to strike and disrupt the school year despite being under a current contract. Other teacher unions under contract might do the same.

Why? Because the state this year approved more money for teacher salaries, and local unions want to lock in big raises now. They want the large raises now so legislators feel obligated to spend more next year, when local property tax rates are lowered (which was part of the McCleary compromise approved by the state Supreme Court).

It’s a “get while the getting is good” position, with no regard to what districts can afford going forward. The Seattle Times says school districts need to “need to show some backbone” and mustn’t “bargain away money you don’t have.”

This whole high-pressure situation shows the absurdity of setting pay in 295 separate contract negotiations. The state pays for the bulk of school costs and salaries, so it’s time to make the rational move to statewide bargaining.

Rob McKenna served two terms as Washington’s Attorney General, from 2005 to 2013. This article was originally published at Smarter Government Washington.

Strike averted but Spokane warns of cuts

Sep 24 by Beth Sigall Leave a Comment

Unlike Seattle and some other districts across the state, Spokane Public Schools averted a teacher strike in the 11th hour, reaching an agreement on increasing teacher pay that met to the satisfaction of the union there. That meant schools opened on time for the 30,125 students in Spokane. But some district officials are now wondering aloud how they are going to pay for that contract, blaming the union for putting the district in the position of having to choose between closing schools or agreeing to a contract they can’t afford.

Eli Francovich of The Spokesman Review reports that district officials are stating the new teacher contract has blown a hole in what was a balanced budget for the upcoming school year. This means the district must look to other areas of the budget to cut, including SAT fees, before or after-school care and lunch programs.

It’s unclear whether other districts like Seattle will also be forced to cut other programs to pay for higher salaries negotiated this year.

Schools remain closed in Seattle

Sep 11 by Beth Sigall Leave a Comment

As of Friday, 53,000 students remain shut out of their classrooms in Seattle as the teacher strike there continues to delay the start of school.

According to Jessica Lee of The Seattle Times, as of today, bargaining teams for both sides failed again to meet face-to-face, which meant school was cancelled for the third day in a row. State mediators were called in to help facilitate discussions.

The parties appear to remain far apart on the main sticking point of negotiations – teacher pay: “The district says the union’s proposal for a two-year contract will cost about $61 million over two years, more than twice what it can afford.”

Read more about the respective positions of each side, and what parents are doing to find childcare options in the meantime, here.

How much are teachers paid?

Sep 11 by Beth Sigall Leave a Comment

Teacher contract negotiations and strikes in some districts, in particular Seattle, are focused primarily on one item – teacher pay. Here is a a useful breakdown of teacher salaries, who pays them (state versus district contributions) and how they are calculated.

“Salaries for teachers in Washington state vary widely. And Seattle teachers already rank high among the state’s 20 largest school districts. . . . Teacher pay is a complicated mix of state and local dollars: Teachers get a base salary from the state, which on average is 81 percent of teachers’ salaries. Another chunk of the pay comes from local districts, funded by local property tax levies.”

Teacher strike threatens to close Seattle schools

Sep 3 by Beth Sigall Leave a Comment

Last night Seattle teachers voted to go on strike, rejecting the latest contract offer from Seattle Public Schools (SPS). Both sides appear far apart in their talks, with Seattle teachers seeking an 18 percent raise while SPS is offering an 8.2 percent pay hike.

If no agreement is reached by the first day of school (Wednesday September 9), teachers in Seattle will walk out of the classroom, and over 58,000 students across Seattle will not go to school.

Teachers in the Pasco school district continued their strike for the third consecutive day; school was scheduled to start there on September 1.

The League of Education Voters has put together a useful guide for parents, community members and others in response to many questions that typically arise during a strike, such as how are teachers paid, and what can I do with my kids during a strike.

The Washington State PTA, the largest and oldest child advocacy group in the state, has a long-standing resolution opposing teacher strikes because they are a “disruption to the educational system” and are “detrimental to the best interests of children and families.”

Our view: We oppose teacher strikes because when schools are closed, kids can’t learn. Many students from low-income families rely on our public schools for nutritional support in the form of free or reduced breakfast and lunch. When schools are closed, these same families, and many others, are forced to pay for childcare or miss work. This places significant burdens on working families already struggling to get by. Students with disabilities who require special education services miss vital instructional time when schools are closed. Overall, when teacher strikes close schools, communities are deprived of a vital resource that touches not just on academic learning, but also critical support systems for our most vulnerable students and families.

Given the record amount of investments the legislature made in our schools over the past two sessions, we hope the teachers’ unions, school districts, school boards, community leaders and parents can work together in a collaborative, not combative, manner to reach an agreement to keep schools open. Disputes among adults should not be resolved at the expense of student learning.

“It’s TIME” – Time For What, Exactly?

Jun 8 by Chad Magendanz 1 Comment

Rep. Chad Magendanz, R-5th

State Rep. Chad Magendanz (Issaquah) offers his views on teacher compensation and education funding under the proposed state budgets in play right now in Olympia. Rep. Magendanz serves as ranking minority member on the House Education Committee, and also serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Technology and Education Development Committee.

Teachers in more than 60 school districts have decided it’s time to walk out on kids, ostensibly as a rolling strike against the legislature. By some estimates these walkouts have impacted 1 in 4 students in our K-12 public schools. While teachers march under brightly-colored signs that tell the legislators “It’s TIME” to fund education, what are they protesting, exactly? The Senate budget proposal the union denounces increases, not decreases, K-12 education funding by 18%, the highest percentage in 25 years. Under that same Senate budget, spending on our public schools would be restored to 47% of the operating budget, the highest percentage in 30 years.

The Washington Education Association’s grievances deal mainly with teacher compensation and class size, which while important aren’t the linchpin of complying with the 2012 Supreme Court’s McCleary decision. A bit of background: In 2010, House Bill 2776 enacted a new prototypical school funding model with increased state funding for K-3 class size reductions, all-day kindergarten, student transportation, and materials, supplies and operating costs (MSOC). In its opinion, the Court wasn’t concerned so much with the scope of the funding as with the model’s timely implementation.

This year, both House and Senate budgets propose to continue to phase-in that prototypical model, meeting all statutory deadlines, with $1.32 and $1.28 billion appropriations, respectively (the slight difference is due to a technicality in timing for implementing the K-3 class size reductions). In short, we’re right on track to meet that part of the McCleary mandate.

There is one element of the McCleary decision that wasn’t addressed by HB 2776, and that is “the State’s reliance on local dollars to support the basic education program.” Compensation is the primary cost driver for districts, representing about 83% of their operating expenses. Failure to address this problem led to the court’s contempt ruling against the state.

Given that the WEA is now promising more strikes this fall if its demands are not met, it’s important to ask whether overall teacher compensation is competitive. Reports commissioned for the Compensation Technical Working Group concluded that “total salaries are competitive in most of the state, and the fringe benefits appear unusually generous.” However, local districts have been supplementing state base salaries at an increasing rate so they can offer competitive salaries.

Both House and Senate budgets enact the I-732 cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that were suspended during the Great Recession, with the House adding an additional $153 million on top of voter-approved levels.

To answer the question of whether extraordinary COLAs are necessary, we need some context:

Two main takeaways from this graph are:

Most households in Washington now make at least $7,354 less than what the average full-time teacher is paid for a 180-day school year.
Most households in Washington suffered greater loss of income during the recession than the average full-time teacher, who still received salary increases each year.

The McCleary ruling means the state of Washington must pick up the full cost of staff compensation to implement its program of basic education, ending dependence on local levies. This creates a shift of about $2.5 billion per biennium from local school levies to the state in order to have a constitutional funding mechanism. Raising taxes, or imposing new ones, doesn’t seem necessary to get the job done.

It’s time to fix this, and finally put McCleary to bed. The rest is just rhetoric.

Five Questions Parents Can Ask About Lake Washington Teacher Strikes

Apr 19 by Beth Sigall 1 Comment

The Seattle Times reports that members of the Lake Washington Education Association (LWEA) will vote on Tuesday April 21 whether to hold a one-day strike. (Note: LWEA is the union that represents teachers and other staff in the Lake Washington School District.) According to the Washington Education Association, this is part of a larger effort across the state encouraging teachers to hold one-day work stoppages.

Eastside Education Network reached out to parents in school districts where teachers have gone on strike in the past. From these conversations we compiled a list of questions for parents to ask school districts, school boards and teacher union leadership to help families prepare for any possible work stoppages.

1. Buildings Open and Student Safety – Will the school building remain open on strike day(s) for the entire school day? If yes, who will supervise the students?

2. Continuing Student Learning – If school is open on a strike day, will the district provide sufficient staffing to ensure student learning continues? Will striking teachers provide lesson plans for substitute teachers or staff?

3. Missed Instructional Time – If school is closed during the strike, how will missed instructional time be made up? Extra day(s) added at the end of the school year? Longer school days? Something else?

4. Helping Parents Plan Ahead – How much notice of school closing (24-to-48 hours? same day?) will the teachers union and school district provide to parents so that they can make alternative childcare arrangements? Are any other strikes planned for the rest of the school year?

5. Free and Reduced Lunch and Other Programs – If school is closed during the strike, what happens to services like free and reduced meals for students who need them? What about after-school activities like homework tutoring or enrichment?

Parents can submit these or any other questions about a possible teacher strike to:

Dr. Traci Pierce, LWSD Superintendent: [email protected] phone: (425) 936-1257

Jackie Pendergrass, LWSD School Board President: [email protected] phone: (425) 936-1257

Kevin Teeley, President, LWEA (teachers union): [email protected] phone: (425)-822-3388

Our View- Kids can’t learn if teachers aren’t in the classroom. Strikes cause stress for families and the overall school community. That’s why the Washington State PTA adopted a resolution opposing teacher strikes. They concluded work stoppages are a “disruption to the educational system” and as such are “detrimental to the best interests of children and families.” We agree.

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