District must make its teachers a priority

I have been an educator for the Snohomish School District for the last 15 years. I chose to take a pay cut to teach in this community, my alma mater. During this time, I accepted less than ideal contracts or worked to support the district in a time of need.

Teachers are compassionate, caring individuals who, obviously, don’t jump at the opportunity to strike. There has never been a strike in Snohomish School District’s history. However, we can’t continue to go backward in terms of salary, insurance and respect. The level of support from local parents and businesses is truly amazing. We recognize the strain our action puts on the public and sincerely appreciate their continuing support.

When the Snohomish School District was in the red, loyal teachers made numerous concessions to help the district successfully save over $4 million. We took no pay increase. Positions were eliminated. Teachers supplemented their supplies with their own money. Now, we are back on track with a healthy financial reserve. It is time to focus on fairly compensating our talented, dedicated workforce.

Last year, teachers spent the first month working without a contract; we didn’t strike. District officials said they couldn’t meet our needs because they didn’t know if the February levy would pass. Once again, we were asked to be patient and wait. In April, after hours of phone calling and financial donations by educators, the levy passed. Our needs are still being ignored.

Picture the Snohomish School District budget as a pie chart. The school board has a rigid vision of how this pie should be divided.

Washington’s constitution states that education is the paramount duty of our state. The Snohomish School Board has the opportunity to set an example to the entire state by making their teachers a priority.

Kimberlee Dubuque

Snohomish

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