We must all work together on issues

In reference to the Snohomish teachers strike, I am appalled that we are in this situation at all. Both sides had ample time (over a year) to get all their cards on the table and avoid this situation.

The administration and union need to address the real budget issues so that we aren’t in this position every time a contract comes up. What are the real issues?

Try unfunded mandates. Per the school district, one-quarter to one-third of their budget is unfunded mandates ($14.5 million-$19.3 million out of $58 million).

Why is the administration not informing the public of the specifics of these mandates? (A list and costs would be nice.) It is not enough to privately whine and gripe about it, you need to do something about it.

Why isn’t the union doing something? They collect dues from each and every teacher in this state. To serve their teachers, couldn’t they come up with some funding for advertising and man-power to fix such a vital problem?

If the public was aware of this problem and these two divisions would work together instead of against each other and the public, they could put together a statewide initiative to force the government to fund their mandates. This would make the Legislature more accountable, and remove the shrugging-of-the-shoulders, gee-we-can’t-do-anything-about-this excuse that the administration, Legislature and union hide behind.

Public policy can be changed if you put a little elbow grease into it. But you have to educate and communicate with the public to do it, and have a plan in hand as to how to fix it.

It is time for the priorities in our school to be set where they ought to be: First, pay for good teachers, then pay for good curriculum and supplies, then pay for buildings, then pay for transportation. Administration and any other items should be after those items are paid, and only if we have the funds.

The administration and the union and the Legislature need to start practicing what they preach – that kids come first.

Snohomish