Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

Area teachers plan one-day walkout over pay, class size

 

Teachers in the Seattle, Mercer Island and Peninsula school districts plan to walk out of classes on Tuesday, May 19, to urge lawmakers to fund teacher raises and smaller class sizes. They’re following in the footsteps of teachers from more than 40 other school districts around the state who also are upset with the lack of action in Olympia and have staged or plan to hold walkouts.

Lawmakers are in a 30-day special session to hammer out a two-year budget that is supposed to include adequate funding for K-12 education, following the Supreme Court’s decision that the Legislature was in contempt for not putting enough money into education. Some 4,000 people attended a recent rally at the Capitol to protest the lack of education funding.

The Seattle Times takes a look at teacher pay in the 20 biggest school districts, with a comparison chart for new, mid-career and veteran teachers.

Regardless of whether or not parents support a teacher walkout, those who work when their kids are at school will be left scrambling for childcare options when their teachers leave the classroom. Check our drop-in guide to find a community center hosting kids on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are getting an 11 percent pay raise over two years, which even they acknowledge is “horrific timing” and “an incredibly awkward situation,” according to The Seattle Times.

About the Author

Margaret Santjer