Kent teachers vote overwhelmingly to strike
KENT, Wash. -- Teachers in the Kent School District voted overwhelming to strike after negotiations talks with district officials collapsed.
The strike was approved by the 86.4 percent of the more than 1,500 members of the Kent Education Association who cast a vote on Wednesday.
The teachers planned to hit the picket lines at 7 a.m. Thursday in opposition to the district's 40-page proposal. Classes were scheduled to resume on Monday.
"We're very disappointed that our teachers chosen to strike," said district spokesperson Becky Hanks.
The district said it offered an $ 8.5 million compensation package, promising 3-percent pay increases in the first year.
But a pay hike alone did not satisfy the teachers, who also demanded smaller class sizes and more time to prepare their course work.
"There was a little bit of money that was put on the table, but...what we are here tonight about is about time with our students and about class size," said Kent Education Association President Lisa Brackin Johnson. "Kent has one of the higher class averages in the Puget Sound area."
"I have 37, 36, and 34 in a classroom -- too much is right, just me in that classroom with all those kids," said teacher Nicole Yemothy.
But Hanks said it's just not feasible to reduce class size given the district's budget.
"In order to decrease class by one student across the district, you're talking $2.7 million," Hanks said.
Hanks added reducing class size would directly affect teacher pay.
"This last year, people were laid off, positions were cut, so that the district would have the money to renegotiate with teachers," she said.
The other major sticking point in the negotiations is the number of meetings teachers must attend each week. While some districts have weekly or monthly meetings with teachers, the Kent Education Association said their teachers are pulled into three or four meetings a week.
"Between especially teaching writing, between grading papers and going to meeting and planning lessons, and all of the other things that come up after school, it's really hard to just sit one on one with a student," said English teacher Annie Kirking.
The district said teachers are paid to work 7-hour days, outside of a 30-minute lunch break they get. Five of those hours are spent in the classroom teaching, leaving two hours for everything else -- from lesson planning, to grading papers, to meeting with students.
"We know that we have students that are not up to standard," Hanks said. "We know that there's work to be done. We have highly skilled teachers we have programs we can work on together but there's much work to be done in that area."
Meantime, the teachers, along with the district's 27,000 students are wondering what Monday morning will bring.
"I'm just really sad that both parties couldn't settle on a deal, because that's where I want to be is in the classroom with my kids," said teacher Christie Padilla.
"Our hope is that we can go back to the bargaining table tomorrow, work through the weekend," said Hanks.
The strike was approved by the 86.4 percent of the more than 1,500 members of the Kent Education Association who cast a vote on Wednesday.
The teachers planned to hit the picket lines at 7 a.m. Thursday in opposition to the district's 40-page proposal. Classes were scheduled to resume on Monday.
"We're very disappointed that our teachers chosen to strike," said district spokesperson Becky Hanks.
The district said it offered an $ 8.5 million compensation package, promising 3-percent pay increases in the first year.
But a pay hike alone did not satisfy the teachers, who also demanded smaller class sizes and more time to prepare their course work.
"There was a little bit of money that was put on the table, but...what we are here tonight about is about time with our students and about class size," said Kent Education Association President Lisa Brackin Johnson. "Kent has one of the higher class averages in the Puget Sound area."
"I have 37, 36, and 34 in a classroom -- too much is right, just me in that classroom with all those kids," said teacher Nicole Yemothy.
But Hanks said it's just not feasible to reduce class size given the district's budget.
"In order to decrease class by one student across the district, you're talking $2.7 million," Hanks said.
Hanks added reducing class size would directly affect teacher pay.
"This last year, people were laid off, positions were cut, so that the district would have the money to renegotiate with teachers," she said.
The other major sticking point in the negotiations is the number of meetings teachers must attend each week. While some districts have weekly or monthly meetings with teachers, the Kent Education Association said their teachers are pulled into three or four meetings a week.
"Between especially teaching writing, between grading papers and going to meeting and planning lessons, and all of the other things that come up after school, it's really hard to just sit one on one with a student," said English teacher Annie Kirking.
The district said teachers are paid to work 7-hour days, outside of a 30-minute lunch break they get. Five of those hours are spent in the classroom teaching, leaving two hours for everything else -- from lesson planning, to grading papers, to meeting with students.
"We know that we have students that are not up to standard," Hanks said. "We know that there's work to be done. We have highly skilled teachers we have programs we can work on together but there's much work to be done in that area."
Meantime, the teachers, along with the district's 27,000 students are wondering what Monday morning will bring.
"I'm just really sad that both parties couldn't settle on a deal, because that's where I want to be is in the classroom with my kids," said teacher Christie Padilla.
"Our hope is that we can go back to the bargaining table tomorrow, work through the weekend," said Hanks.
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