Seattle families growing frustrated with impasse between teachers and school district
Another night of negotiations between teachers and SPS
Families are increasingly frustrated by the uncertainty of the ongoing negotiations and the potential impact on their children’s education.
SEATTLE – – Families wait in limbo for one more night as Seattle Public Schools resume negotiations with teachers about how to safely return to face-to-face learning amid the pandemic.
The school district plans to return preschoolers and some special needs students to classrooms on Thursday even if teachers fail to show up.
A school spokesman told Q13 News that several hundred key employees will fill the void.
The Seattle Education Association held a meeting Monday afternoon to express their desire to return to the classroom for face-to-face learning, but only after an agreement was reached between the union and the district.
“The importance of partnerships is that this communication needs to be clear so that when families make a personal decision, they know where to send their students back to,” said Jennifer Matter, president of the teachers’ union.
RELATED: Seattle School District and Teachers Union Split Over Going Back to School
The Seattle Special Education Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has been advocating more personal service since last spring. At the last review, the president said that only about 140 out of 8,000 special education students receive any form of it.
“At the same time, it is worrying to hear from SEA, the teachers’ union, what concerns they have about the safety protocols and whether they are being implemented appropriately and in a way that protects the safety and health of everyone, teachers and students,” said Janis White. President of Seattle Special Education PTSA.
White said Seattle is lagging behind neighboring King County districts in serving this group of children.
Sara Waisanen is parents to an 8-year-old special school student at Lafayette Elementary. She said her son now goes to school in person for about an hour a day four days a week.
“I still don’t understand how we got this far and must have another conflict with the profits we just made,” said Waisanen. “Our disabled children, so many doors are already closed to them that all they have to do is open the school doors. Start there first and bring them back into the building.”
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