Seattle Press on Line - Boycott WASL to Hold Legislators Accountable

Teacher Ted

Boycott WASL to Hold Legislators Accountable

By Ted Lockery

Apr 18, 2001 -- It came as no surprise, but it still bothered me when I heard the radio report that the Washington Education Association (WEA) voted not to strike over the Legislature's failure to fully fund both education initiatives: I-728 and I-732. Even though I understood the pragmatism behind the decision, I couldn't help but feel like we backed down. I, like many in our local, the Seattle Education Association (SEA), am frustrated with this state's disregard of the public's sincere intention to improve funding for education, and I am ready to fight the good fight on this one.

In particular, I would encourage teachers and their local unions across the state to boycott administering the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) test until the state fully funds the initiatives. You may recall that this snapshot assessment of student learning was imposed by the Legislature (after our last duration strike) to hold educators accountable to them. By boycotting the WASL we would be telling the legislature that if they are going hold teachers accountable, they, too, are going to be held accountable--accountable to the overwhelming majority of Washingtonians who told them to lower class size and to give educators a cost-of-living salary adjustment (COLA) to attract and retain top-notch educators. Period.

At this time, the House and Senate are set to negotiate a "reconciled" budget that, if the Senate has its way, would only fund COLAs for state-funded positions, contrary to I-732. This means that, over the next two years, school districts across the state would not receive $130 million of initiative funding. Seattle, next year, would not receive $2.7 million (about $60 per student) as required by I-732.

The senate says it would fund I-728 at $194 per student next year, as required, but would significantly cut other areas of education funding over the next two years. Medical costs would be shifted to school districts and employees statewide ($44 million), traffic safety programs would be cut ($14 million), Block Grant funding would be cut ($18 million), and Seattle's Washington Reading Corps grant would be eliminated, affecting programs at seventeen local schools ($761,983).

So, why didn't the WEA call for a strike? Initiatives I-728 and I-732 primarily address issues of urban educators and school districts. A statewide strike would require a full commitment of union locals in the rural parts of eastern Washington who have less at stake this time around.

And the WASL boycott? It's just an idea, right now. Some of the teachers I've spoken with say they are afraid the public might confuse the action with their pedagogical outrage over the test.

The SEA, however, isn't going to sit idle. Members voted to "participate in two to three one-day walkouts and/or protests," and suggested a long-term strategy of coalition building with AFL-CIO organizations and unions, including the Washington Sate Employees Federation, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Washington State Labor Council. The SEA Board of Directors recently voted to explore affiliation with the local units of the American Federation of Teachers.

As the WEA is not an AFL-CIO union, this reaching out to trade unionism represents a new and bold direction for SEA. Educators in Seattle are laying the groundwork for a strong and unified front in the fight for quality public education.

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