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Re: Letter from a teacher: Let's get back to priorities - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:39:38 -0000

I have to say, kentdadof2, that your argument is specious. You are saying that Ms. Brunet's opinion is not valid because she COMMUTES? How many people who live in Kent work in Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma, etc. I've got news for you: We live in an urban area. Many teachers owned their homes before working in the district. Should they sell them and move to Kent, though their commute is but 25 minutes, simply because they work there? Few people in the suburbs actually work in them. The Kent schools would not be able to staff the district with only Kent residents.

This is a distraction. Respond to the issues she addresses, not her zip code. After all, the KSD School Board members have Kent addresses, and they are ignoring you, the taxpaying voter, completely.

Re: District and teachers' union: Start acting like educated people - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:04:10 -0000

The no-strike clause in the old contract had a sunset date, and it does not carry over if we go back to work without a contract.

Re: Letter from a teacher: Let's get back to priorities - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:46:24 -0000

It's manipulative to ask people to remember school memories? And your use of the words "rip apart" is not rhetorical?

Ah, the community we live in ... Would that be the school community? Ms. Brunet seems to have a greater understanding of that community than do you.

Re: STRIKE UPDATE: Mediators suspend bargaining until after Thursday court date - Kent Reporter

standingup — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:09:06 -0000

How sad it is that the KSD school board -- rather than face the public and answer questions about its lack of progress in directing the district to contract resolution -- chooses to hide. These are elected officials, and their job is to be held accountable in the face of public scrutiny. I seriously question their ethics and instead can only assume that they are interested in maintaining their own power and that of the school district.

Re: KENT STRIKE: Big rally Friday; no contract yet - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:36:35 -0000

Dear kentdadof2:

Pray tell us, what is going on? You seem to have the inside track. But please, no hyperbole. Back it up with data. After all, you say this "is a simple fact."

Re: KENT STRIKE: Big rally Friday; no contract yet - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:46:34 -0000

"semmingly simple". Thanks for giving the explanation of the fast fingers, Kennewick man!

Re: KENT STRIKE: Big rally Friday; no contract yet - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:29:41 -0000

dvs030309,

As Kennewickman said, there certainly was no intent in my response to make this a racial issue. The fact that Rosa Parks was a black woman is irrelevant. There are other examples of people engaging in civil disobedience in order to follow their consciences, from Henry David Thoreau's refusal to pay a poll tax, to Al Gore, who has encouraged people to engage in civil disobedience in order to prevent the construction of coal plants. I only used Rosa Parks because her act was seeminly simple, and yet the implications of her decision were far-reaching.

I wonder why you assume that the teachers are at fault. Why not ask the district why it has refused to bargain with us these past five months? Why do you not wonder about KSD's unwillingness to engage in a fair dialogue about something so crucial to the success of our students? Why is it that the teachers are at fault? Because we went on strike? What was left for us to do? How else could we be heard? By going back into the classroom and silently suffering? If you can think of a way to get the district to listen to us, please share it.

You have accused us of being dramatic. Perhaps we are, and that's a good thing. We care passionately about what we do. We see children who have emotional problems, who are hungry, who can't speak English, who can't read or complete fundamental math problems, who have divorcing parents, who are shy, who are overly energetic, who need love, who want to be noticed, and who want to be invisible. We want to help each and every one of them.

You say I am a hypocrite for turning away a child in favor of a mandatory meeting. That's the problem. We shouldn't be put in the position of having to choose between violating a direct order and helping students, just as we shouldn't be asked to choose between violating a court order and fighting for lower class sizes and fewer mandatory meetings. As Kennewickman noted, however, we are not entitled to binding arbitration. If we were, you would find the district and union much more amenable to compromise, for fear that a judge would decide the matter for them.

My response to you is one of hope that you will begin to see us, not as antagonizers, but as people who are tired of working in a district with misguided priorities. Instead of viewing us as overdramatic hypocrites, perhaps you could understand the magnitude of that which we fight for. Perhpas you could call KSD and say, "I trust my child's teacher to do what is in his/her best interest, and I want this matter resolved in a way that will be positive."

This will be resolved when we work together to solve the problem, not while we lay blame and point fingers.
Think of your own children. What is it you want for them? Do you think that putting your child in a class of 35 is beneficial?

Re: KENT STRIKE: Big rally Friday; no contract yet - Kent Reporter

standingup — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:31:15 -0000

I don't understand why some parents (and I hope not most) seem to think that teachers are obligated to work under poor conditions, unable to teach their children effectively, unable to spend individual time helping them, unable to fully understand their students' individual learning needs. Those who say this strike is hurting children are short-sighted. Won't it hurt your children more when we can't spend time with them? Won't it hurt your children more to say, "I'm sorry. I can't stay after school. I have a meeting about how best to meet your needs"? Won't it hurt your children more to assign less because there is no time for grading? Won't it hurt your children more because their teachers are focusing more on classroom management than on quality instruction?

Nobody wants to hurt children, but going to school in an over-crowded class is far more damaging than missing a few days of school at the end of summer vacation, or having to read/listen to the news to find out what is going on in the world.

Yes, your children want to go to school. We teachers also want to go to school. Believe me, standing on a picket line all day is not a reward for missing school. But, you see, we want to be the best teachers we can be for your children, and I know you all want that, too.

Will we violate a court order? We hope, every single one of us, that we don't have to consider such an option. We want a fair contract presented to us on Monday night, one that recognizes that education is not a business, that teachers understand, better than administrative bureaucracy, what is needed to reach their kids. We want the district to recognize how hard we work for our children, and we want parental support in helping us to achieve that goal. Should we break the law if a fair contract is not presented? That is a decision no one will take lightly, but what message do we send children when we say, "Fight for what your conscience says is right, but when it comes to breaking a rule to do it, sit down and be quiet"?

Thank goodness Rosa Parks didn't receive that message.