When members of the Seattle Education Association (SEA) ratified a new contract with the school district on September 20 ending a six-day strike, it was a victory not only for educators, but also a major win for students, public schools, and the communities they serve. The contract — approved by 83 percent of teachers, 87 percent of paraprofessionals and 96 percent of office professionals – gives educators a raise, but also guarantees more recess time for elementary students, an educator voice in the standardized testing regime, and new policies to ensure equity at the city’s public schools.
When the union, representing 5,000 educators in the Seattle district, voted to go on strike, parents scrambled to find daycare, but they also demonstrated support for their children’s educators by writing op-eds, signing a Change.org petition, rallying in front of the school district’s administrative offices,or by joining the educators picketing at their children’s schools.
Elizabeth Gay, her 10 year old daughter, and 13 year old son, showed up at their elementary school every morning to march with their teachers.
The family made signs, brought coffee (very important in Seattle), and created an online sign-up so that there were always at least ten families joining the educators to help keep their energy up as they clocked in ten to fifteen miles of marching each day.
to care for elementary-age students at no additional costs to parents.
“A victory for the union is also a victory for education across the country. It shows that if we organize and remain united, we can resist attacks on public education,” said Councilwoman Kshama Sawant.
Often when educators strike, the public perception is that it’s all about money. But SEA members showed their dedication to students with a list of goals that included a guaranteed daily recess of 30 minutes for elementary school children. At some schools, kids were getting as few as 15 minutes for lunch and recess, forcing a choice between food and play.
They also demanded that the district create committees at 30 schools to examine issues of race and equity, including disciplinary measures that disproportionately affect minorities. Studies have shown that black students are far more likely to face harsh disciplinary measures like suspensions and expulsions. After the end of the strike, the Seattle School Board voted for a one-year ban on out-of-school suspensions of elementary students who commit specific nonviolent offenses, and called for a plan that could eliminate all elementary school suspensions.
SEA also won an end to the use of student standardized test scores to evaluate teachers, and educators will now be included in decisions on the amount of standardized testing required of students.
Special education teachers will have fewer students to work with at a time. In addition, there will be caseload limits for other specialists, including psychologists and occupational therapists.
Negotiations on the agreement that centers on student success had been ongoing since May; this was the first contract-related strike of Seattle educators since 1985.