Seattle Strike Enters Fifth Day as Teachers Protest Testing Policies, Racial Inequity and Low Wages
The strike, says local high school teacher Jesse Hagopian, has 'really galvanized the community to the side of the teachers, because they know we’re standing up for the issues that matter most to our families.'
Teachers picket outside Roosevelt High School and will continue to picket until the new contract has been accepted. The district hopes to start school by Thursday, if a tentative agreement holds and the nearly weeklong strike ends. (Photo: Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times)
Schools are closed in Seattle again today as the city’s first teacher strike in 30 years enters its fifth day. Last week, teachers, represented by the Seattle Education Association, unanimously voted to go on strike, demanding fewer standardized tests for students, more time to prepare for classes, and better pay. The impasse has delayed the start of the public school year for about 53,000 students. The strike comes after Washington’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the state’s new charter school system is unconstitutional.
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