Seattle teachers rally along I-5 in support of negotiating better contracts

"Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association are bargaining a new contract that will begin next school year, 2019-20. The district continues to bargain in good faith and we look to SEA to continue to join us at the table for productive conversations. It is our goal to start our school year on time and look forward to continuing to partner with SEA to eliminate opportunity gaps for students and to provide excellence in education for every one of our more than 53,000 students.

Seattle Public Schools works hard to balance our budget and fairly compensate our hard-working staff. Last year we were able to provide a 10.5 percent salary increase to all our teachers and classified staff. A first-year teacher with a master's degree earns $69,800 for the 185-day school year at Seattle Public Schools and we pay the highest salary in the state to our paraeducators. We are actively comparing our salaries to neighboring districts and have every intention of remaining competitive, but we have to balance that against what we can afford and our fiscal responsibility. We must ensure we don't negatively impact students, especially those furthest from educational justice, with cuts to vital programs and services. We hope SEA will continue to have authentic and transparent conversations about compensation and the reality of the district's budget. We ask the SEA to focus on bargaining with the district, with a goal to start school on time for our students and families."