Seattle teachers are on strike... its effects

[AviatorTom]

Seattle teachers are on strike, which cancels classes and forces kids to stay home.

Though I sympathize with what teachers are trying to accomplish, I think they're going about it all wrong.

The purpose of a strike is to damage the employer and force the employer to negotiate something better for the workers on strike. When teachers go on strike, though, they don't damage their employer, they harm the children who should be learning in class; some will not get meals they would otherwise get in school. And, the strike harms the children's parents, who have to stay home and take care of their kids, rather than got to work, which negatively impacts the entire local economy. Kids are already behind in learning due to COVID restrictions (schools closed, remote learning only), and this just puts them further behind where they should be.

There are other ways for teachers to make their point without striking. For example, they could refuse to take attendance. Without that, the school district would not be able to justify state aid. Teachers could work only class hours, nothing else. I'm sure there are other ways for teachers to make their point with school district management.

Let's not harm our kids more than they've already been harmed. Teachers of Seattle ... stop your strike ... and educate our kids. We know that's what you really want to do.

[Amy10223]

I don't know why they are striking--but that usually happens when teachers are not given a contract--or are given an ultimatum to give up some part of their healthcare, etc. before a contract agreement is ratified. I remember those days--working withot a contract for 3 years strraight with no pay increase and the cost of living (in nexpensive NJ) rising. It's no joke that teachers need to have a summer job or another job in addition to teaching. They simply cannot make it on a teacher's salary alone (especially if they are single). There are so many responsibilities that a teacher carries on, and I would invite anyone who thinks a teacher's job is easy--to teach for a week and then talk about it. You don't come home and relax after teaching--you grade papers, adjust plans for the following day when lessons weren't all accomplished the day before, call parents at home, attend after school meetings and come back ion the evening various times of the year for parent conference nights and meetings, and so on. All the while handling irate parents who think they have an angel in your class when the opposite is true, and also handling the many problems that students come with associated with their homes. It's not an easy job. So I hope that they can come down with an appropriate plan of action, and come out winning.

[musicbrain5]

Without knowing the whole story, I’m guessing they have probably tried all those other tactics and gotten nowhere. This has probably been going on for MONTHS, as it has here. Our teacher’s union contract ended months ago, and the ministry who governs us has been unwilling to rectify the situation. Work to rule hasn’t worked, letter writing campaigns haven’t worked, parent complaints haven’t worked… strikes are the absolute last straw. Teachers and education workers don’t want that either, but it’s the only way to get any meaningful attention from elected officials who control the funding of school boards. Strikes affect EVERYONE, including the staff and their own families who have to live without that income. But when the government is your employer, sometimes you have to take drastic measures.

Our government here has been spreading the message that students have a right to learn, while also implying that teachers and especially educational support staff do not have a right to a fair wage, or often even a living wage for some EA and Kindergarten ECEs - some of them only make minimum wage. There is definitely a middle ground. The government needs to step up to the bargaining table and negotiate.

[KrakenAttackin]

@musicbrain5. There is less sympathy for teachers as more and more stories hit the press about teachers pushing crazy gender-blender, hard-left, political agendas. Parents are growing less patient with the public schools.

[musicbrain5]

@KrakenAttackin That’s not the issue or the struggle between education staff and the government where I live. I really have no idea how bad American schools are. The mainstream media is extremely biased towards one side so that’s why they are pushing those stories. It’s not real journalism since they are pushing opinions as facts and promoting “feelings” over real stories.

If parents are getting tired of public schools, I am sure there are other options. Parochial Christian schools, private schools, religious schools, home schooling, etc.

[KrakenAttackin]

@musicbrain5. But we are forced to PAY for these indoctrination camps. I'm not kidding when I say there is anger at public school systems.

[musicbrain5]

@KrakenAttackin We are all forced to pay for shit we don’t want to support. For example, we are all forced to pay taxes to fund welfare payments for people who are perfectly capable of working, but they choose not to because it triggers them or something.

[Chazmatazz269]

That’s exactly what a union buster would say. “Don’t strike. Do your job for lousy pay and under lousy conditions no matter what!” Maybe you missed your calling. Ell oh ell! If the students and teachers are really feeling the strain of the strike, they should be putting pressure on the district administrators to do the right thing and negotiate. NOT put pressure on teachers to give up their rights to negotiate.

[dudeinohio]

I support all strikes. Teachers here went on strike and issues were settled in 3 days.

My union could strike my employer if we reject the third contract proposal. Gotta do what we gotta do.

[BlueScorpio]

No.. that's how strikes work and most definitely does hurts your employer. If everyone decides to all walk out at the same time, then work stops, nothing gets done, guess what your employer has to do? They have to close up for the rest of the day or how ever long until their demands are met. Strikes do work and they've been working.. how else would you got unions. Plus teachers are having to put up with more these days. They have to pretty teach and baby sit kids who can be problematic while also being on the look for deranged shooter while also not getting paid as much? No thanks.. I would strike too or leave the profession altogether. Asking them to stop striking just to accommodate you and make your life easier without taking into account why they are striking is probably reason their doing it. they are tired of self centered schools, parents, and kids.

[Adaeva]

You can always argue that strikes will cause harm but if they didn't cause pain, they would not be effective. If parents have to stay home because children are not attending school, they may pressure the administration to settle the strike which is what the teachers want. Besides the parents have the option of enrolling their children in private schools. If teachers are unreasonable in their demand, the administration may decide it is less expensive to replace them.

[Lynn7dsd]

Yeah, strikes always seem weird to me, but sometimes people do it for good reasons like if a hospital is understaffing to save money; and its harming people; then people do have a right to strike. But the teachers thing seems a bit selfish to me... maybe they have valid reasons though; you need to remember sometimes organizations can be kind of out of line; or corrupt.

[Sixgunsound]

That attendance idea is golden! Just like Japanese bus drivers who refused to collect fares to punish their employer not their customers. It would seem that many teachers are spoiled children who haven’t gotten what they see as their fair share from the districts. #unionstrong

[OlderAndWiser]

I think most techers are dedicated people but the ones who grab the political power in teachers' unions seem to be extraordinary bitch Karens.

[exitseven]

Seattle couldn't get any more screwed up anyway.

[TroyDT]

I personally think the current public education in most states is a dumpster fire and needs an overhaul and direct competition.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

It's not the teachers fault, place blame of the state government.

People get sick and tired of ish pay.

Pay them their worth. Cost of living has gone up.

[Miristheiss]

Hey... a leftist state. An education system bullied by a union. What a shock.

That is great for the kids and their learning.

The U. S. education system... it just gets better and better.

[KrakenAttackin]

I am fed up with teachers politicizing the class room, so I really don't care about Seattle teachers.

[musicbrain5]

Most of the time, it’s the Karens sitting on their asses in the administration office who politicize everything. Then they act as a mouthpiece for the media while having no idea what it’s like to actually teach in a classroom. The government is always kissing their ass and that’s why we end up with these problems at the classroom level.

[Avicenna]

Their union contract almost certainly requires them to work more than class hours. And not taking attendance gets you fired.

[Anonymous]

So they'll be getting a break from indoctrination, hopefully get some really skills and save Washington from sinking into the abyss like Commiefornia already has

[Andres77]

As if they didn’t have a break for the last two years. Fuqing leeches:

[Amy10223]

A break? Try getting 16 kids in a “classroom” computer screen to pay attention, test them at home and grade them too. It was a nightmare for most teachers, but then you wouldn’t know it because you didn’t experience it yourself.

[musicbrain5]

Working full time being forced to teach 6 year old kids online (30 of them by the way) and keep them focused on their screens, while having parents in the background constantly interrupt the lessons is not a break.

[Amy10223]

@musicbrain5 Have you taught before? I have, for 32 years. I speak from experience. Parents were asked to help their kids on the computers and to stay by. The parents I spoke to told em it was very hard to keep their minds on the subjects being taught when they were art home because of the distractions. And these were 6,7, and 8 yr olds.

[musicbrain5]

@Amy10223 Yes, I am a grade 1 teacher. Most of the parents were very good but I had a few who would insist on sitting in on the classes (they don’t work, I guess), and then telling me how the lessons should be conducted, or doing all the work for their child.

[Amy10223]

@musicbrain5 Yes, I have colleagues who told em the same. It was just a pain... and I have not taught since retiring 4 years ago, so I'm glad I didn't have to go through any of that...

[joeldalton]

I’m becoming more convinced that teachers are just lazy and are doing everything to get out of working.

[strateguy632]

they can have strike same as anybody else.

[Anonymous]

Every teacher should be go on strike. The American education system is a mess.

[jimmy2]

I hear you I think like Nurses they all got wipe out in Covid

[MrTaboo]

$60k a year to work 9 months of the year.