Saturday, September 01, 2007

On the Teacher Strike in Bethel

Well, the worst case scenario happened: teachers in the Bethel School District over by Tacoma went on strike this week, cancelling the first two days of school. A mediation session is scheduled for this weekend; hopefully the issue can get resolved quickly and fairly.

There's plenty of reaction on the internet. The first Tacoma News-Tribune story above has better than 100 comments; the WEA position is here and the Bethel EA also has their own web page; SVC Alumnus has the contrary viewpoint; and there's also thoughts from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation here. The News Tribune also referenced chatter on MySpace, but I couldn't find any when I took a quick look.

Striking is the nuclear option that can haunt a district for decades afterwards. It's also the ultimate in risk-reward metrics; you're putting it all on the line, but will it be worth it?

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1 Comments:

Blogger Dr Pezz said...

I have not been in a position to need to strike. However, I do feel that striking is effective. Still, how is that reconciled with it being illegal in many eyes?

I would advocate working only the hours paid until agreements are made and signed.

3:50 PM  

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