By keeping schools closed Seattle union denies education justice to children
In December, Seattle Public Schools (the largest in the state with 53,000 students) told parents of students with special learning needs, and parents of students in Kindergarten and 1st grade, that their schools would open by March 1st. Then district officials told parents schools would not open until March 8th.
Over the weekend the SEA teachers union took another step to keep schools closed, filing a needless grievance about “unfair” working conditions.
The union is the most powerful actor in the public school system. In Berkeley, the head of the union was caught dropping off his child at a private school, before he started his workday keeping public schools closed. The hypocrisy is obvious: “Safe for me, but not for thee.”
This video has gone viral. Parents know the union’s narrative that schools cannot safely reopen is false. Parents have noticed millions of children in other states have been going to school safely in person since last September. See Burbio.com’s School Reopening Tracker. Washington state is 47th to last in returning students to school. Other states have figured out how to open schools safely. See KING 5 TV story, here.
The union is working to block state legislation to safely open schools. SB 5464, introduced by Senators Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver) and John Braun (R-Centralia), would open public schools to in-person instruction. This bill has been blocked in committee by the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island). She’s a key player in maintaining the union’s power in the system.
Parents are keenly aware of this injustice. They are opposing the union and trying to open schools. Their children have not been in school since March 13, 2020, when Governor Inslee’s order closed the schools. Children have lost a year of academic learning. Students are anxious and depressed. Low-income, minority children are hit hardest. Many children will lose out on learning opportunities, and earn lower earnings their entire lives, as a direct result of losing this critical year of learning.
The sooner school officials say “No” to union power, the sooner we can get kids safely back into classrooms.