Judge orders Kent teachers back to work
KENT, Wash. - A King County judge has ordered Kent teachers to return to the classroom on the Tuesday after Labor Day, but teachers haven't yet decided whether to defy the ruling.
Judge Andrea Darvas issued the order at a special hearing on Thursday in King County Superior Court, ruling that the teachers' four-day-old strike is illegal.
Some teachers said they were shocked by the ruling, saying it didn't address the issues that led to the strike in the first place.
But in the end, the Kent teachers union postponed until Monday a vote on whether to defy the judge's order, deciding it would be better to give the school district one last chance to come up with a better offer.
Talks between the Kent Education Association and the Kent School District will resume Friday at 10 a.m. and continue through the weekend, if necessary.
Kent School District officials filed court papers Tuesday seeking an injunction to force teachers back into the classroom, claiming that their strike is illegal.
The two sides argued their cases before King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvis on Wednesday, who issued the ruling on Thursday.
In her ruling, Judge Darvas directed the Kent teachers union president to hold a general membership meeting to review her order within the next 24 hours.
That meeting, attended by about 1,300 teachers, was held Thursday afternoon, and resulted in the teachers' decision to postpone a vote until Monday.
Some teachers said they were in shock after the judge's ruling.
One teacher, Tyler Baril, called the judge's order "ridiculous." "We were just shocked," he said. "We're still gonna persevere and the issues remain."
Another teacher called the ruling "a blow to my gut."
"I feel really bad for the children because it's not really solving the problem at all," said Charlotte Take. "We'll take our vote and go from there," she said.
Monday was supposed to be the first day of the school year for the district, but classes were canceled as the district's 1,700 teachers voted to authorize a strike.
"This illegal strike not only hurts our students, but impacts our working parents who must seek care for their children while they are on the job," said Kent district superintendent Edward Vargas.
Thursday is the fourth day that about 26,000 Kent students are missing classes while the teachers' union continues to negotiate.
Judge Andrea Darvas issued the order at a special hearing on Thursday in King County Superior Court, ruling that the teachers' four-day-old strike is illegal.
Some teachers said they were shocked by the ruling, saying it didn't address the issues that led to the strike in the first place.
But in the end, the Kent teachers union postponed until Monday a vote on whether to defy the judge's order, deciding it would be better to give the school district one last chance to come up with a better offer.
Talks between the Kent Education Association and the Kent School District will resume Friday at 10 a.m. and continue through the weekend, if necessary.
Kent School District officials filed court papers Tuesday seeking an injunction to force teachers back into the classroom, claiming that their strike is illegal.
The two sides argued their cases before King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvis on Wednesday, who issued the ruling on Thursday.
In her ruling, Judge Darvas directed the Kent teachers union president to hold a general membership meeting to review her order within the next 24 hours.
That meeting, attended by about 1,300 teachers, was held Thursday afternoon, and resulted in the teachers' decision to postpone a vote until Monday.
Some teachers said they were in shock after the judge's ruling.
One teacher, Tyler Baril, called the judge's order "ridiculous." "We were just shocked," he said. "We're still gonna persevere and the issues remain."
Another teacher called the ruling "a blow to my gut."
"I feel really bad for the children because it's not really solving the problem at all," said Charlotte Take. "We'll take our vote and go from there," she said.
Monday was supposed to be the first day of the school year for the district, but classes were canceled as the district's 1,700 teachers voted to authorize a strike.
"This illegal strike not only hurts our students, but impacts our working parents who must seek care for their children while they are on the job," said Kent district superintendent Edward Vargas.
Thursday is the fourth day that about 26,000 Kent students are missing classes while the teachers' union continues to negotiate.
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