“To our school community, like you, we are saddened by this start to the school year. Be assured we will support your children and families with the resources they need in this time of uncertainty.” Jennifer Adair, the Columbus Board of Education president, released this statement following an emergency meeting Tuesday.
Columbus City Schools in Ohio had its first day of school Wednesday. However, it’s anything but a normal school day for students and parents alike.
Superintendent Talisa Dixon announced on Monday that Columbus City Schools will be forced to undergo online learning after the Columbus Education Association, the district’s teachers’ union, voted to go on strike. “Tonight’s vote by the CEA is incredibly disappointing,” Adair wrote. “We are saddened by the unfortunate situation our families, our community and, more importantly, our children now face.”
Last Friday, the board provided the union with their “best and final offer.” That offer includes:
- Guaranteed raises of 3% annually for three years
- $2,000 per CEA member retention and recruitment bonus
- By the end of the contract, a teacher who in the most recent school year earned the district’s average salary of $74,000 will earn more than $91,000—a 23% increase from the start of the contract
- Starting teachers will earn over $50,000 in the first year of the contract—with that paycheck set to grow from the guaranteed annual raises
Also included in the offer are commitments to fix air conditioning issues in schools, smaller classes in grades K-5, a new approach to paid leave for new parents, more help for students from specialists, and additional time for teachers to plan.
“It is a strong offer,” the board writes. “It’s responsive to the concerns that have been raised. The offer is respectful and reflects how important our teachers are to our district.”
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And yet, the CEA took hold of their picket signs and marched through the streets.
“We want a contract, just and fair, give our students central air,” the protestors chant as they call for better and safer learning conditions for their students.
As outlined on the union’s website, they’re demanding:
Smaller class sizes so that teachers can adequately meet the individual needs of each student.
Safe buildings that have better air conditioning, air quality and classrooms that have been renovated to fix the leaky ceilings and chipped paint.
A well-rounded curriculum that includes full-time art, music and P.E. teachers in elementary schools.
“The CEA’s bargaining team has negotiated for months in an attempt to reach an agreement, but Columbus City Schools continues to ignore the voices within our community and [does not] invest in our schools in a way that will improve learning conditions for our students,” the website reads.
Columbus City Schools isn’t the only district being challenged by its teachers. The Kent Education Association in Washington state, a union of Kent educators from Kent School District, voted Monday to authorize a strike on Thursday, August 25, if their demands aren’t met.
The union is reportedly asking for a modest pay increase, decreased class sizes, better mental health support and better teacher retention, according to KOMO News.
Additionally, a union of school employees from the School District of Philadelphia voted to authorize a strike last Saturday, a week before school starts. The union, 32BJ SEIU, is reportedly requesting higher wages and improved training programs.
In a recent Twitter update from Columbus City Schools, a federal mediator will meet with both parties later today, August 24, to resume bargaining.
