SEATTLE — Seattle teachers have ended a weeklong strike and are headed to their classrooms Wednesday. Students will join them Thursday.
Teachers won a 14.3 percent pay raise over three years, mandatory 30-minute recesses for elementary students, a longer school day and more say over standardized tests.
The union's board of directors and representative assembly voted Tuesday evening to end the strike and urged the 5,000 members to approve the three-year agreement. The strike was suspended immediately, and the union's full membership votes on the deal Sunday at Benaroya Hall.
Seattle Public Schools tweeted that school will start on Thursday.
A tentative agreement was reached between the teachers' union and the district at 6:50 a.m. Tuesday after bargaining through the night, but teachers remained on the picket line as they waited to learn whether their representatives would call off the strike.
If the full membership approves the agreement on Sunday, teachers get a 3 percent raise in the first year, a 2 percent raise in the second year, a 4.5 percent raise in the third year in addition to state cost of living adjustment -- meaning in the next three years, there will be a 14.3 percent raise over all.
But these raises are applied to only the part of the salary that the state pays, which is about three-quarters of teachers’ total pay. That means the total increase is less than the percentages listed.
Teachers had initially asked for 21 percent over three years.
But teachers say they had some big wins. During the 2017-2018 school year, teachers will be compensated for a school day that’s 20 minutes longer. Teachers also secured at least 30 minutes of recess for elementary school student.
There are also going to be new caps on the number of special education students that each staffer is responsible for. The contract also adds limits on standardized testing and added some committees to help close the achievement gap for minority students.
Though teachers will go back to work Wednesday, students do not return until Thursday.
Stacy Howard with Seattle Public Schools said the district needs time to get transportation and other logistics in order for all of the 97 schools.
Union President Jonathan Knapp said earlier that the agreement addresses major sticking points around pay, testing, student equity, teacher evaluations and the length of the school day.
The walkout that began Sept. 9 delayed the start of school in Washington state's largest district, leaving thousands of families scrambling to make child care plans.
What are the the highlights of the tentative agreement?
- A state cost-of-living adjustment of 3 percent on their base pay this year, and 1.8 percent on their base pay the second year.
- A district raise of 3 percent on their base pay this year, 2 percent on their base pay the second year, and 4.5 percent on their base pay the third year.
- Their base pay is about three-quarters of their total pay.
- There is a guaranteed minimum of 30 minutes recess time at all elementary schools.
- All standardized testing is now scheduled by July 31, and no more will be added after that – so teachers can have time to plan around them.
- There will be teams at 10 schools this year to address equity issues. That number will be upped to 20 in the second year and 30 in the third year.
- There will be 20 minutes of extra instruction time added in the third year.
So what happens next? When will school start?
Yes, school will start Thursday.
Teachers will go back to work Wednesday.
Stacy Howard with Seattle Public Schools said the district needs time to get transportation and other logistics in order for all of the 97 schools.
When are the teachers going to vote on the contract?
They will go back to work immediately, then vote on the agreement Sunday afternoon at Benaroya Hall. The full membership includes teachers and support staff.
What raises were Seattle public school teachers asking for?
In the latest proposal that was made public, teachers are asking for a 9.75 percent increase over three years. That is in addition to a 4.8 percent cost-of-living increase over two years guaranteed by the state legislature.
What was the district's final offer?
Teachers get a 3 percent raise in the first year, a 2 percent raise in the second year, a 4.5 percent raise in the third year in addition to state cost of living adjustment -- meaning in the next three years there will be a 14.3 percent raise over all. The cost-of-living increase is 4.8 percent over two years guaranteed by the state legislature.
What changes have been made to the offers?
Below are the numbers for the Seattle school district. Those are in addition to the 4.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment guaranteed by the state legislature over the next two years.
By August 21
District offer: 7 percent over three years (11.8 percent with state COLA)
Teachers’ request: 21percent over three years (25.8 percent with state COLA)
By September 4
District offer: 8.2 percent over three years (13 percent with state COLA)
Teachers’ request: 18 percent over three years (22.8 percent with state COLA)
By September 8
District offer: 9.2 percent over three years (14 percent with state COLA)
Teachers’ request: 10.5 percent in two years (15.3 percent with state COLA)
By September 13
District offer: 9.2 percent over three years, plus an unspecified amount of extra pay in the third year for an extended school day. (14 percent with state COLA, plus the unspecified amount)
Teachers’ request: 9.75 percent in two years. (14.55 percent with state COLA)
When did public school teachers in Washington last get a cost of living increase from the state?
The state has not given a cost-of-living raise in six years and has not given an increase in funding for educator health care in five years.
When did Seattle Public Schools last give a cost of living increase?
What do Seattle public school teachers make now?
The compensation (base salary and a tri-annual amount) ranges from $44,372 to $86,435. For comparison, Everett public school teachers make a base of $46,938 to $99,504. The high number is for a veteran teacher with a doctorate. Part of the reason for the discrepancy is that certain districts have higher allotted base salaries from state funds. Everett has the highest base salary contribution from the state. Seattle ranks 11th among all the districts for the amount of salary funded by the state.
What are teachers advocating for besides raises?
Teachers wanted a guaranteed minimum of 30 minutes’ recess time for elementary students. They also want the district to address discrepancies in discipline rates and achievement among students of different backgrounds -- and have a committee for the evaluation at every school. The district wants to add 20 minutes to the school day in the third year of the contract, and teachers want what they consider to be more reasonable testing.
Will teachers eventually get paid for the time they're on strike?
State law requires 180 days of instruction, and the state doesn't grant exceptions because of a strike. A contract for teachers is expected to cover those 180 days, regardless of when they are.
Where can my kids go until Thursday?
- Seattle Public Schools provided the following resources. It will cost $65,000 to keep community centers open for the next three days.
- FAQ: A list of frequently asked questions about bargaining, potential strike and child care options is listed here: Frequently Asked Questions about the Bargaining, Potential Strike and Child Care Plans
- City of Seattle Plans: You can read a list of school-based child care providers and Seattle Park and Rec plans. View the city's plans
- Child Care Providers Who Have Provided Contingency Plans: Parents requiring child care should contact child care providers directly. View list of child care providers who have responded to date with contingency plans
- After-school Child Care Programs Located in Seattle Public Schools: You can find the list of provider addresses and phone numbers on the following document after-school programs located in Seattle Public Schools
Aren’t teacher strikes illegal in Washington?
More than a dozen judges have ruled teacher strikes illegal in Washington since 1976. State and local public employees, including teachers, have no legally protected right to strike, according to a 2006 state attorney general's opinion. But that opinion also noted state law lacks specific penalties to punish striking public employees.
What does the board’s legal action entail?
The Seattle Public Schools board of directors voted Sept. 8 to authorize Superintendent Larry Nyland to take legal action to stop a strike. The vote was 5- to 1 (with 1 abstention). They said their first priority is still to reach an agreement at the bargaining table, but this authorization would allow the superintendent to ask a judge for an injunction if necessary. The district said in each of their updates there was no plan to take this legal action.
How many people are part of the Seattle Education Association?
There are more than 5,000 members, including about 2,000 that are support staff.
How many students are in Seattle Public Schools?
About 53,000.
When did negotiations start?
The Seattle Education Association has been meeting with Seattle Public Schools officials all summer.
Have Seattle public school teachers gone on strike previously?
Yes. Here is a rundown of previous strikes.
- 1976 (10 days)
- 1978 (three weeks)
- 1985 (19 days)
- 1990 (one day)
- 1991 (part of a multi-district strike across the state)
- 2015 (one-day walkout in May)
What's the district cost for the strike?
The district says the cost is roughly $100,000 for each day missed. But they have not broken down how they arrived at that $100,00 number. The teachers' union says they're curious what the expenses are when teachers aren't being paid.
What would a strike do to the last day of school?
This is the answer from the Seattle Public Schools website:
State law requires 180 days of instruction, and the state will grant no exceptions to that law because of a strike. Decisions about when strike-lost school days will be made up will be part of final negotiations after a strike. Possible make-up days include scheduled snow make-up days, break periods and next summer.
Will the school year go long because of a strike?
This is the answer from the Seattle Public Schools website:
State law requires that seniors be in school 175 days before graduation. Graduation for the class of 2016 is scheduled for June 11 and 12. Any delay of the school year may impact graduation. The length of delay can have impacts on the graduation schedule as well as the cost of makeup days.
Will extracurricular activities such as sports continue while school is cancelled?
Yes, according to the district.
Doesn't the state pay teacher salaries?
This is the answer from the Seattle Public Schools website:
The state has fallen far short of paying the full cost of teacher pay. Seattle Schools pays more than 25%, of total teacher pay for what is known as TRI (time, responsibility, and incentive). The voter-approved operating levy also covers the majority of these costs.
If Seattle public school district is receiving $37 million per year in new tax dollars from the state Legislature, why can't they give raises to teachers and support staff?
This is the answer from the Seattle Public Schools website:
These dollars come with obligations. About half of this money is for the new K-3 teachers to lower class size and increased salary, pension and benefit costs. Because district salaries are much higher than what the state funds, these obligations cost more than is received from the state. For example, Seattle will receive $6.9 million to fund the cost of living adjustment (COLA) passed by the Legislature, while the cost of implementation is $11.1 million. The discretionary portion of the $37M is less than $10M; $5M has been used to increase SpEd and $5M will be used for long overdue text book adoptions. The cost of the district's latest offer is approximately $26 million over the two years.
Can't the district use reserve dollars (i.e., its savings) to give teachers what they want?
This is the answer from the Seattle Public Schools website:
Funding ongoing obligations with one-time resources is not sound fiscal practice. One-time resources could help pay costs for the first year of the agreement but leave zero dollars for the second year. The vast majority of this contract is salary-related, compensation changes have a large impact on the overall financial health of the organization.
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