Kent School District, teachers union continue negotiations amid strike

Negotiations continue between the Kent School District and the teachers union.

Both parties met Sunday morning to continue talks about coming to a deal, according to a spokesperson with the Washington Education Association.

On Saturday, the district posted its latest salary proposal that would increase first-year teachers’ salaries by more than 6%.

The Kent Education Association responded to the district’s proposal on Facebook, calling it a tactic to break the strike.

The post said in part: “We are aware that KSD publicly posted their salary proposal on their website. However, they failed to mention everything else they are proposing to take away.”

The post continued, “While KSD focuses on false information around dollars, KEA continues to focus on class size, caseload, and mental health while trying to provide a competitive salary so we can retain and maintain the best educators out there.”

There’s been a lot of support for the teachers from both parents and students.

KIRO 7 has spoken with several teachers who have been a part of this strike, and they said they want to make sure all students are given a great education and to make sure teachers have what they need in order to provide that.

“I’m looking around and everything in that classroom, with the exception of the student desk and the student chairs, I provide it to make my students feel welcomed in my classroom,” said Dorice Warren, a teacher at Mill Creek Middle School. “Down to my own desk and my own chair.”

The teachers’ strike has delayed the start of the school year, and officials with the district said there will be no classes Monday because of it.

According to the Seattle Times, the Kent School District is one of the largest in our region, with roughly 25,000 students enrolled.

KEA is made up of 1,700 classroom teachers in the Kent School District. Unions representing other staff have also been facing difficult negotiations with the district this year.

©2022 Cox Media Group