Teachers’ union shows up in force at Kent School Board meeting

Approximately 200 members of the Kent Education Association – the local teachers’ union – staged a rally May 13 at the Kent Administration Center before and during the beginning of the Kent School Board meeting.

Teachers and students both held signs and then spoke during the meeting’s public-comment section, which was moved to earlier in the meeting, to accommodate the crowd.

The KEA was rallying in support of its bargaining unit, which is currently in discussions with the school district to negotiate next year’s contract.

The current KEA contract expires Aug. 31.

Teachers have focused their requests on three issues: time, workload and compensation.

The union has requested a decrease in class size and caseloads, an increase in pay and additional paid professional development days, among other things, to bring Kent’s teachers in line with neighboring districts.

According to the district, the total cost of implementing the union’s requests is $60 million.

The district has put forth a bargaining proposal that calls for the elimination of additional “effective education” days because of cuts to state funding that no longer compensate districts for those days. “Effective education” days are days that teachers work in the district, but not in the classroom. Teacher in-service days, where teachers receive additional training outside the classroom, is an example of “effective education” days.

Also due to a state-wide freeze on cost-of-living adjustments, the district is proposing a contract without the 4.3 percent cost of living allowance (COLA) that the union is requesting.

The district has stated it does not have the money to meet the union’s demands, especially this year as it struggles to close a budget gap now estimated at $9.2 million, and which also has resulted in the layoffs of 37 staff members. Those layoffs are effective at the end of the school year.

The district has also offered a one-year contract period in hopes of being in better financial position next year.

The union continues to insist that money is available and states that cuts should come from administration, not teachers.

During a budget presentation, which was delivered just after the vast majority of teachers left the meeting, Financial Director John Knutson explained the district’s budget situation as it is currently understood.

“Every week, every day we get another piece,” Knutson told the board, explaining the shifting numbers as the state struggles to fill gaps left by the Legislature with federal stimulus money. “This is where we are today.”

According to Knutson, the total loss of funding from the state was $10.2 million but the district should receive $4.2 million in federal stimulus money.

However, due to restrictions in the way the money can be spent, the total loss to the district is approximately $9.2 million.

To make up for that loss, the district is first cutting $3.4 million from the administrative and central office budgets, is gaining $2.7 million on a change to the benefits rate (set by the state) and was forced to reduce programs by $3.1 million.

Though the administrative cuts total a higher number than the program cuts, something the KEA has requested, but members of the union pointed out that several of the cuts in administration, including educational assistants and teachers on special assignment (TOSAs) are actually members of the bargaining unit.

Superintendent Barbara Grohe said the district planned conservatively for retirements and resignations, which are lagging behind the average number for this point in the year, and will hopefully be able to hire some teachers back as older members of the staff announce their retirement.

“I believe we’re still going to make that number smaller,” she said of the layoffs. “But I don’t believe I’m ever going to get it to zero.”

For a complete list of the bargaining proposals offered by the union and the district, visit http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/ksd/cr/04_09_negotiations.html