Seattle Teacher Strike Looms as District Warns “We’re Broke”

A Seattle teacher strike could delay the first day of school as Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association remain locked in contract negotiations just hours before students are scheduled to return to classrooms. Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner says the district is continuing negotiations in an effort to open schools on September 2, but warned that the district's financial situation makes meeting the union's demands extremely difficult. “It’s difficult because we’re broke,” Shuldiner said while discussing the ongoing Seattle teacher contract negotiations. The Seattle Education Association represents roughly 6,000 teachers and other education professionals. The union is seeking compensation increases along with more special education staffing and support, smaller class sizes and changes involving employee workloads. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, Seattle teachers could head to the picket line instead of the classroom, potentially disrupting the start of school for approximately 50,000 Seattle students and their families. Elizabeth New of Washington Policy Center argues that Washington public employee strikes are prohibited and says lawmakers need to establish stronger consequences for work stoppages. New says students and parents should not bear the consequences of disputes between school districts and employee unions. Seattle isn't the only Washington school district facing a potential strike. Tumwater School District could also see its first day of classes disrupted as paraprofessionals push for higher pay. Teachers have indicated they will not cross a paraprofessional picket line, meaning Tumwater schools could also remain closed if an agreement isn't reached. The Tumwater School District says the state funding model pays for 10.51 full-time equivalent paraprofessional positions while the district locally funds an additional 124 paraprofessionals, primarily through local levy dollars. The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction says it is monitoring negotiations in Seattle and Tumwater. OSPI says Washington students are constitutionally entitled to a basic education that includes more than 1,000 instructional hours, meaning missed instructional time would generally have to be addressed later. Could Seattle schools actually shut down before the school year even begins? And can Seattle Public Schools afford the union's demands while facing serious financial constraints? Washington in Focus breaks down the Seattle teacher strike threat, Seattle Public Schools contract negotiations, Tumwater school strike fight, teacher pay, education funding and the growing debate over public employee unions in Washington state. #Seattle #SeattleSchools #TeacherStrike #SeattleTeachers #SeattlePublicSchools #WashingtonState #Education #SchoolStrike #Tumwater #WashingtonPolitics #PublicSchools #SeattleNews #WashingtonNews #WashingtonInFocus