stittsygirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,580
Location: In the leaves and rain.
Jun 25, 2014 19:57:33 GMT
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Post by stittsygirl on Aug 25, 2018 7:04:35 GMT
We’re in WA, Tumwater, and it looks like we could be headed for a strike as well.
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Post by pinkgreen on Aug 25, 2018 15:15:25 GMT
Oklahoma teacher here - we were out (technically a walkout) for about 2 weeks in April. Each district made the decision independently, both in how long and how the decision was determined. In my small district we were supported by both our admin and school board and made the decision to continue the walkout via daily anonymous polling. We were out a total of 11 school days and due to built in days for weather closures, we only had to make up 2 days. One day was made up by adding minutes each day and the other by extending the year by one day. There was a lot of variation in how different districts made up time.
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Post by honeyb on Aug 25, 2018 17:40:36 GMT
I was a teacher for 28 years and we never went on strike or even talked about striking. I guess it surprises me when others go on strike. Colorado is one of the lowest funded states also. Much of the strife in Washington has to do with a court case filed over 10 years ago. The case, McCleary vs. The state of Washington, claimed that Washington state was not doing their duty in providing a basic education. The courts agreed and the state was told to fully fund. As a result, billions of dollars were put aside to supplement teacher salaries (I believe we are currently 44th lowest in the US). Different models say that teacher salaries should increase from 15-30% with that earmarked money. Now, it is up to local school districts to negotiate their salaries. Many districts are not willing to part with this money for salaries and would like to use it in the general budget. Some school districts are offering a 3.1% raise while others are upwards of 25%. That is causing a very charged atmosphere, to say the least. Anyway, that's why there will be strikes/talk of strikes in our state.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 25, 2018 18:59:25 GMT
I was a teacher for 28 years and we never went on strike or even talked about striking. I guess it surprises me when others go on strike. Colorado is one of the lowest funded states also. Much of the strife in Washington has to do with a court case filed over 10 years ago. The case, McCleary vs. The state of Washington, claimed that Washington state was not doing their duty in providing a basic education. The courts agreed and the state was told to fully fund. As a result, billions of dollars were put aside to supplement teacher salaries (I believe we are currently 44th lowest in the US). Different models say that teacher salaries should increase from 15-30% with that earmarked money. Now, it is up to local school districts to negotiate their salaries. Many districts are not willing to part with this money for salaries and would like to use it in the general budget. Some school districts are offering a 3.1% raise while others are upwards of 25%. That is causing a very charged atmosphere, to say the least. Anyway, that's why there will be strikes/talk of strikes in our state. When I say surprises, I don't mean that teachers don't have a great reason to strike; we just didn't. Other cities around us definitely have gone on strike. I am glad that teachers stand up for themselves and their students. It is a joke how much money is spent on salaries considering the time, money, and schooling is involved in becoming/remaining a teacher.
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Post by Merge on Aug 25, 2018 22:31:48 GMT
I've come to think all this could be avoided if teachers were allowed to negotiate their salaries like other professionals. It was so refreshing to me in my move to private school that I was able to negotiate my own salary based on my experience and talent. I'll also be eligible for real yearly raises of 3-6%.
Principals should be able to give raises to excellent teachers who go above and beyond. Real raises like people in other professions get, not a $500 yearly raise that feels like a slap in the face. I understand that no one wants a teacher who is not doing her job over the years to get a huge salary just for warming a seat. Letting principals give raises to those who are effective (and not to those who aren't) would do a lot to weed out the teachers who aren't making it, and incentivize the good ones to stay. And it would probably save money in the long run.
There's no reason a teacher with two decades or more of experience - who is probably mentoring and training her younger colleagues, doing a lot of the heavy lifting on unit and lesson plans for her department, and taking the "tough cases" in her classroom because she can handle them - shouldn't be making six figures. She absolutely should be paid well for her experience and contribution.
That will never happen as long as we're tied to "lanes" and "steps."
Most urban/large suburban districts in Texas have moved to a model where the first-year salary looks pretty attractive - I think they're all around $55K these days for beginning teachers. But a teacher with 10 years of experience only makes about $2500 more than a first-year teacher. It's demoralizing. And it happens in because our state has severely underfunded our schools. It's technically illegal for Texas teachers to strike, but I won't be surprised at all if there is some kind of work to rule or sick out at some point.
And if it happens while my kids are still in school, it will be a personal inconvenience for me, but I'll totally support it. And I won't be quiet about the fact that the people who keep voting for public-school-hating legislators have brought us to this point.
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Post by stingfan on Aug 27, 2018 1:12:25 GMT
We just went through the statewide strike in WV. We ended up being out for 9 days. It was basically day to day. We'd find out each evening whether or not there would be school the next day. It was frustrating, but they weren't going back to work until the legislature agreed to what they were demanding.
Each county made up the days in their own way. Some places lost their spring breaks. Others added days to the end of the school year. I think we only ended up adding 3 days since we could count hours instead of days.
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