In many states, both Republicans and Democrats agree that schools need more money and teachers need better pay. But while most states are likely to put more money into schools this year, political divisions, budget constraints and competing visions for how to fix the education system could lead to some tense debates.
Oakland teachers and their supporters are pushing for decreased class sizes, a 12 percent pay increase for educators, the hiring of more counselors and more. A vote to strike has been scheduled from Jan. 29 - Feb. 1 for all Oakland Education Association union members.
The resolution, if approved by the LAUSD's school board, would direct the superintendent to pursue a moratorium on new charter schools in the district. It would also require the school board to call on state officials to study the financial impact of charters on the district to inform revisions to the state's charter law.
One Oklahoma legislator has taken the wrong lesson from last year's statewide teacher strike by proposing to make similar strikes illegal. So, regardless of how schools are funded, teachers would be required to report to work every day or risk losing their professional credentials. In a perfect world, teachers would never strike.
The teachers union in Denver has voted to approve a strike that could begin as soon as Jan. 28. It would be the first time the city has seen a teacher strike in almost 25 years. The Denver Classroom Teachers Association finished voting after more than a year of negotiations between the union and the district.
Teachers overwhelmingly approved a new contract and planned to return to the classroom after a six-day strike over funding and staffing in the nation's second-largest school district. Preliminary figures showed that a "vast supermajority" of some 30,000 educators voted in favor of the tentative deal.
One way to address the teacher shortage crisis is to create policies and systems to support teacher recruitment and retention. Some are addressing it through increasing teacher pay to be on par with other highly desirable professions. Others are coordinating national investments to target in-need geographic areas or subject matter areas.
Los Angeles teachers are poised to end their strike after union leaders and LAUSD reached a tentative deal. It includes what amounts to a 6 percent raise for teachers, a reduction of class sizes over four years and the creation of 30 community schools.
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association will resume its strike vote this week. But teachers aren't the only ones who may decide to strike. School nurses are also covered by the teachers contract. If teachers vote to strike, the nurses may strike as well.
Amid a nationwide teacher shortage and teacher walkouts and strikes happening more often, more than 500 districts across 25 states have found a new way to retain teachers and boost morale: a four-day school week.
