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Re: KENT SCHOOL TEACHERS' STRIKE IS OVER - Kent Reporter

watchyourwords — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:29 -0000

So, what have we learned from all this Charlie Brown?

You may not have agreed with the teachers strike and that certainly is your prerogative but I, for one, think that, in the end, the teachers did this community a great service in bringing to the fore all the issues that, as I have said before, been festering for a long time.

At the end of the day, the problems are still there as they probably will always be but if we are to solve them we must work together as we owe it to our children to give them the best education possible.

I thank them for being what they are...teachers.

Someone else said it better than I...

What is a Teacher?

by Gerald Grow
Division of Journalism
Florida A&M University

To a mind of flint, the teacher must be iron, and strike sparks. To the empty pitcher, the teacher becomes a well. To the fallow mind, a planter of seeds. To the cluttered mind, a gardener to weed, shape, and clear a space for growing.

To the lens, the teacher is light, and to the mind of light, a lens.

To the sleeper, the teacher is the wake-up call of birds at sunrise. To clay, the teacher is potter, sculptor, and trainer in self-shaping. To the wanderer, the teacher is a knowing guide. To the developed mind, the teacher is colleague, listener, friend.

To all, the teacher is a mirror that shows not only the self but the path and its choices, the task and its demands--the difficulties, the joys. To all and from all, the teacher is a learner, a person--and a prism through which the ordinary continuously reveals itself to be miraculous.

Re: STRIKE UPDATE: Teachers ordered back to school by Monday; union delivers new contract - Kent Reporter

watchyourwords — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:59:15 -0000

Thanks for the tip. Hopefully, we will be seeing the latest offer from the KEA soon. Any ideas as to why the contract offers are only on the KSD website and not the KEA website? Or am I missing something here? Just asking.

Re: STRIKE UPDATE: Teachers ordered back to school by Monday; union delivers new contract - Kent Reporter

watchyourwords — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:33:27 -0000

I looked for it too but only saw the offer dated Sept 8.

I printed that offer and read it with my wife who is a teacher. She said the offer of Sept 8 looked OK to her and we both wondered why the union did not call a meeting to talk about it.

Anyway, we both think that the union should call it's members together today to talk about Monday as she wants to go back to work.

Re: STRIKE VOTE: Kent teachers defy judge's order; vote to continue strike - Kent Reporter

watchyourwords — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:45:19 -0000

Then you know where of I speak and you are correct. The teachers are showing their vote by their feet.

It would be easy to walk or move away and yes, the general electorate can vote the KSB out of office but the problems will still be there which is what I believe the teachers are saying.

I also believe that in a round about way the KSB is saying the same thing as they are participating in the law suit against the state for failure to adequately fund education in this state.

No, to me, it takes courage to take a stand when you know others may see that the stand you take as being wrong or selfish or even yes, against the law.

I applaud those on the line (my wife and yours) and hope that when the chips are down that I for one would have the same courage of conviction these teachers have to their students, their community and their job.

I do not know how you wife voted but however she did, she still gets my respect.

Re: STRIKE VOTE: Kent teachers defy judge's order; vote to continue strike - Kent Reporter

watchyourwords — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:30:14 -0000

I assumed and know what that spells.

Make you a deal.

I'll watch my words as you watch yours.

In other words, truce.

I know this is a very emotional issue on all fronts.

My wife is a teacher in the district.

I can tell you that she really did not want this strike. No one in their right mind did. But she thought long and hard before casting her vote yesterday but in good conscience, could not vote to continue the status quo.

And as much as anything else, the teacher vote really is a vote of no confidence in the school board and district.

I can also tell you that during the school year, my wife will work many hours over the allotted time. This is not whining here just the truth.

You may say that she gets it back with time off in the summer but there are continuing education credits needed and classes to attend to keep up with curriculum changes. So, you see, teaching really is year round job just like any other professional position.

I will also tell you that she really did have 32 children in a classroom designed for no more than 25 and she really did have 5 behavior disorders in class that were so bad that the 5 were constantly being taken from and returning to the classroom which disrupts the learning process for ALL concerned.

This is unfair to the 5 behavior disorder children; the remaining 27 and to the staff at the school; she also had 6 ELL children who spoke little or no English and they also came and went into the classroom and ALL were to be counted on the test scoring of the school.

In short, it was and is a zoo.

You may say to her quit.

How do you tell someone to quit when it's their passion?

No, quit is not a word in her vocabulary as it is not in the vocabulary of many of the professional teachers that work in the Kent School District.

She is passionate about her job and wants every child to receive the best education possible, She is a professional in every way.

The problems are real and I know the answers are hard but a meeting of the minds must be made on both side.

Perhaps in the future to avoid similar situations, the KSB should be composed of four different groups. The first is the district (this would be the Superintendent); the second is teachers (this would be the KEA); the third is the parents (this would be Kent PTA Council) and finally, the fourth is the electorate (no more than 3 elected seats.)

The first three groups would be automatic seats at the table. The last 3 elected seats. The bottom line is that ALL would have a seat at the table together in one forum to tackle these issues head on together.

As for Mr. North, both you and I are in agreement here.

If someone does not live in this district or have an iron in the fire, then their comments mean nothing.

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

watchyourwords — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:00:36 -0000

kentdadof2,

I totally agree with KennewickMan. You have little or no understanding of what is going on here.

How old are your children?

Ask them what it is like in school as I sincerely doubt that you talk with and not at them. There is a difference.

Dr. Grohe was part of the cause of this situation.

The teachers actually were also part of the cause as these problems they have let these problems fester for the past 20 plus years.

Everything has simply come to a head.

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

watchyourwords — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:21:58 -0000

The Crunch Time is now.

Let's hope that all concerned have their moral compasses pointing to true north.

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

watchyourwords — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:29:39 -0000

If you don't stand up for what you know is right, then you will stand for anything.

What the teachers are teaching the children in this strike is that you need to stand up if you want to make a change in the status quo. Afterall, if our founding fathers of this great nation had not taken a stand, we would still had be subjects of the English empire.

My wife is a teacher.

Last year she had 32 students in her classroom that was built 30 years ago and designed to accomodate 25 students at max.

Of the 32 students, she had 5 disruptive behavior problems and 6 ELL children who barely spoke English.

When you put too many children in a classroom along with the 5 disruptive children coupled with the 6 ELL children, I think you get the picture.

And from what I can ascertain from speaking to other teachers at other schools, the above is the rule not the exception.

This simply is not acceptable. Hence, the strike.

When the KSD comes back and says that it would cost millions of dollars to add just one teacher, I, for one, find that hard to believe as I have been a compensation analyst.

In the long run, it costs far more NOT to find a way to limit the number of students in a classroom.

I believe that the answers are:

1. No pay raise for teachers. Use that money to fund for more teachers. This might be a bitter pill for teachers to swallow but I do think that it is necessary to help allivate the overcrowding problem.

2. Reduce the overhead of administration. It seems to me that their are WAY to many administrators for a district of this size.

3. Reduce the pay for administrators. Perhaps, Dr. Vargas is worth $240K. Perhaps not. But as I see it, he needs to set an example by cutting his pay in half and the difference will hire at least one more teacher.

4. Use the rainy day fund because, guess what, it is raining.

5. Limit the rainy day fund to 3% not 5% as other districts do.

The ironic thing about all this, is that the KSD, in a way, actually is supporting the teachers strike as they are now involved with a law suit against the state of Washington for not adequately funding education in this state.

No one in their right mind wanted this strike least of all the teachers but something MUST be done fix the problems.

Let us hope that cooler heads prevail and the answers come soon.