You may have noticed that this month lacked the usual posting. It turned out to be a month of emotional upheaval so I decided it was better not to post until things turned around. We got the good news this morning at 6 am. We will no longer be on strike but will return to work on Tuesday morning. This was after a negotiation session that ran 18 hrs. at the end of a week of walking a picket line through mostly rainy weather.
Striking was not an experience I thought I would ever take part in as a teacher. I can’t say I was an avid participant of union events up until this year. This year I was glad I had paid those union dues. It made the difference with not having to accept a contract that was grossly unfair to us and the students we work with. It is no joke that teachers are under attack. We saw it happen here in our little part of the world as 4 districts had to fight it out. Not over the money like the press continues to say, but over contract language that took away things like prep time, employment tied to test scores, allowing verbal complaints to go into record, and contract re-openers which meant nothing really was binding.
I have to say that our parents were are best allies. They put the pressure on the school board, and supported us on the line with coffee, and goodies. Although some animosity developed during the week as classified staff had to continue to work, it also allowed for some bonding as people were able to talk and meet like they hadn’t before. Hopefully we will now be able to finish the next 2 1/2 weeks on more pleasant terms.
