Why did teachers in Kent School District go on strike, and how does it affect students?”
By now you may have heard that the Kent School District has declared an impasse in negotiations. (For more info, see the Aug 14th Bargaining Update) KSD’s webpage includes several new posts that can only be seen as propaganda and half-truths. The District claims that the union, “rejected proposal for increased compensation.” Why would the KEA reject a raise, you may ask? The most recent proposals brought to the table by the Kent School District (See the July 30th Bargaining Update) give the illusion that they are finally coming to the realization that Kent teachers and certificated professionals are grossly underpaid and overworked. However, if one looks more closely, we see that the District falls well short of what KEA members have been bargaining for. KSD’s proposal is a two year plan that breaks down like this: Year One of Contract * Additional 7.5 hrs of personal Effective Education, deemed done (no additional paperwork) * Additional 7.5 hrs of District-directed Effective Ed, whic
The teachers began their strike on Thursday. At issue are class sizes, which teachers say are too large, and meetings before and after classes, which the teachers say cut into their time for preparation and work with students. Negotiators representing the district and administrators met all weekend in separate rooms of a hotel in Kent, with a state mediator assisting. Talks were scheduled to resume today. The two sides remain far apart, said Dale Folkerts, a spokesman for the Washington Education Association, the statewide union of which Kent teachers are a part. Teachers say class sizes are as high as 45 kids in some high-school classes, and that the district has the means readily at hand to reduce them. Students could be moved between classes to redistribute the rosters of students per class more evenly, Folkerts said. Administrators could also be redeployed to help teach in the classroom.
