Snohomish School District’s stellar reputation of tradition and excellence is in danger of being lost. Here’s the problem in a nutshell: A number of years ago, due to poor financial management by some new administrators, Snohomish schools went into the red. This was a serious blunder for a district esteemed as one of the finest in the state. As a result, the district suffered its first double levy failure. Things were tight and the teachers agreed to bite the bullet for a number of years, taking no pay raises or extras of any kind. The administration, in turn, thanked the teachers repeatedly for their willingness to sacrifice on behalf of the students and promised to compensate the teachers accordingly when the crisis was remedied. Now, Snohomish is back on track financially, and guess what?
You got it. The board is still saying no, even after all those years of teachers saying yes. At this time our teachers face a very tough dilemma: slide gradually into a future of declining success and growing mediocrity or take a stand, demanding the compensation, respect and support promised during those tight years. This compensation, by the way, is not only for our current teachers.
It is also for our potential future teachers. Snohomish has always counted on its ability to attract the very best teachers. How can we continue to do this if salaries fall behind other districts? If we stop attracting the best applicants, we can kiss our tradition of excellence goodbye. It’s time for the board to keep its promise.
Everett
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