CHIMACUM— A teacher walkout intended to draw attention to legislative inaction on fully funding public education drew about 100 demonstrators Friday morning.
That included one special guest.
Stephanie McCleary, 50, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to a state Supreme Court decision in 2012 directing the Legislature to fund education, is the Chimacum Schools’ human resources director.
She stood with the marchers as they gathered at the Chimacum crossroads on her morning break.
She did not address the gathering in the morning.
While walkouts are scheduled across the state, McCleary’s presence in Chimacum was a point of pride for the demonstrators, some of whom carried signs stating “We are the McCleary district.”
“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the McCleary decision,” said Todd Miller, Chimacum Education Association president.
“We would not be having discussions about class size, we would not be having discussions about money, if not for the McCleary decision.
Without Stephanie McCleary, maybe this would not have happened at all.”
Steven Miller, Washington Education Association vice president, spoke at the rally. He is making visits to walkouts throughout the state.
“One of the things I like about driving around between all these rallies is that it shows our connection,” Steven Miller said.
“We are working as a team across the state to provide one of the best public educations in the nation.”
He criticized the Washington State Salary Commission for enacting an 11 percent pay raise for legislators “while teachers do not receive a living wage.”
McCleary, a Sequim native who was interviewed by a Seattle TV crew, said she is nervous about public speaking.
“I’m passionate about what I’m doing but this attention is hard on me,” she said prior to the interview. “I don’t really like that part of it. It sends me into a tailspin when I have to do this again.”
McCleary said that when she joined the lawsuit she didn’t understand the implications it would have on her life.
“I thought it was the same as signing a petition,” she said. “I was really ignorant about that.”
McCleary said that the general public doesn’t understand the implications of underfunding schools.
“If you have kids you are more in tune with this,” she said. “If you don’t have kids, it’s not important.”
Earlier report:
By Arwyn Rice and Charlie Bermant
Peninsula Daily News
Teachers from Port Angeles and Sequim school districts will gather together for a noon rally at Veterans Park on Lincoln Street in Port Angeles during walkouts at their school districts Monday.
Both Port Angeles and Sequim school districts will be closed Monday after teachers unions voted to join unions in other public school districts in the state in the job action urged by the Washington Education Association, a statewide teachers union, to protest inaction on court-ordered education funding.
The 217 teachers in Port Angeles and the 175 in Sequim are among those in three public school districts on the North Olympic Peninsula that will stop work in the movement in which 55 public school districts out of 295 in the state are participating.
Chimacum teachers plan to walk out today.
On Monday, Port Angeles and Sequim teachers will participate in activities in their respective towns before they gather together at the park near the Clallam County Courthouse to present a united front, said Barry Burnett, president of the Port Angeles teacher’s union.
Speeches and live music with a sing-along are planned.
Teachers will distribute postcards for members of the public to write legislators to urge action on funding public education, Burnett said.
Before the group’s noon rally, teachers will gather at several places in each town to make signs, said Burnett and Jonathan Eekhoff, president of the Sequim Education Association.
Sequim Education Association teachers then will wave signs and hand out informational fliers at several businesses, as well as hold a community cleanup at Carrie Blake Park, before they drive to Port Angeles for the rally, Eekhoff said.
Members of the Port Angeles Education Association will march to Veterans Park to meet the Sequim teachers.
The sign-making locations and routes were not announced Thursday.
Each district has scheduled a makeup day in June so students and teachers can complete the state-mandated 180-day school year.
Port Angeles students’ last day will be June 15, and Sequim students will have a last day of class June 18.
Graduating seniors at Port Angeles and Sequim high schools will not be required to attend the makeup day.
Chimacum
Action planned today by Chimacum teachers has a special meaning, according to the president of the district’s teachers union.
“We’re small and we’re sticking our neck out,” said Todd Miller.
“But we are special because Stephanie McCleary is from our district.”
McCleary, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to a state Supreme Court decision in 2012 directing the Legislature to fund education, is the district’s secretary.
The Chimacum School Board decided Wednesday night to cancel classes today because of the walkout by the 75 teachers.
McCleary, a year-round employee who does not belong to the teachers union, has no plans to address the rally planned today from 8 a.m. to noon at the corner of West Valley Road and Rhody Drive.
She may attend parts of the event outside of her work hours, she said Thursday.
“I hope this moves the legislators toward compliance,” McCleary said of the walkout actions.
“But it also puts pressure on the kids.”
The public is invited to this morning’s rally, Miller said, suggesting people “wear red for public ed.”
Steve Miller, WEA vice president, is expected to speak before the teachers march to Carl’s Building Supply, 10733 Rhody Drive, and back again.
The event will end with closing ceremonies and free COLA floats, a play on words on Cost of Living Allowance.
The WEA has said that other grievances include six years of stagnant wages and the lack of funding for across-the-board class size reductions approved by voters in Initiative 1351.
Teachers have not received raises since receiving a cost of living adjustment in 2009.
“We are making it fun,” Todd Miller said of the rally. “But this is also very personal.
“In a small community, you see the kids everywhere you go. It’s not a big district where you can hide from the public.”
McCleary decision
In the McCleary decision, justices ruled that lawmakers are not meeting their constitutional responsibility to fully pay for basic kindergarten-through-12th-grade education, and they are relying too much on local tax-levy dollars to balance the education budget.
In September, the court held the Legislature in contempt, saying it would impose sanctions if no progress were made in this legislative session toward fully funding education by 2018.
Legislators are now in a special 30-day session to work on education funding and other issues.
“When Stephanie filed this lawsuit, her child was in fourth grade. Now he’s a sophomore in high school,” Miller said.
“This has gone on too long.”
The Chimacum School Board’s unanimous action in closing the school today will mean students must take a makeup day.
Seniors will be required to attend school June 8, two days after their scheduled graduation June 6, according to District Superintendent Rich Stewart.
For the remainder of students, the last day of school will be Monday, June 15, instead of Friday, June 12.
Actual diplomas won’t be handed out at graduation. Seniors must attend school June 8 to claim them.
There are no significant after-school activities planned today aside from AP testing, which will continue as scheduled.
Port Townsend
Port Townsend teachers will delay action until the upcoming school year, said Chris Pierson, Port Townsend Education Association president.
“This is about statewide action and not local,” Pierson said.
“We want to send a message to the Legislature but want to work with the community and the district.
“We don’t want to punish the locals for something that’s happened in Olympia.”
All Washington state teachers are paid on a schedule determined by their education and years of teaching experience
A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree earns $34,048, and about an extra $5,000 each is added for master’s and doctorate degrees.
A teacher with 15 years’ experience and a master’s degree earns $48,724.
The pay scale tops out for a teacher with 16 or more years of experience and a doctorate at $64,174.
Local districts can add to salaries from the district coffers as each district negotiates with local teacher unions, and teachers can earn additional income through negotiated teacher workdays for training and preparation, and extracurricular coaching or advising.
For more information on the WEA strikes, see www.ourvoicewashingtonea.org.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
