Episode 33: Tacoma Teacher’s Strike

Citizen Tacoma

On today’s episode, we talk to three striking teachers and union leaders about how we got here, what is the McCleary case, the realities of teacher pay and schedules, and how we can help.

WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT TEACHERS DURING THE STRIKE

*** Come to the rally on Thursday 9/13 at 4pm at Peoples Park! ***

1. Bring food, snacks and drinks to the sign waving teachers in front of their schools. You could also ask local businesses to help with this. Surely a morale booster!
2. Schools are not open to teachers. They will need access to restrooms. If you live near a school or can arrange for a business to have restrooms open for nearby teachers, let them know. Put a sign out front to let teachers know they can use your restroom(s).
3. Write a letter to the editor in support of teachers. Teachers need to know the parents and community members are in their corner. This is a way to get the word out there.https://www.thenewstribune.com/…/letters-to-…/submit-letter/
https://tacomaweekly.com/contact/
4. If you belong to a union, approach its leadership about showing support to the teachers.
5. Walk the picket lines at your neighborhood or child’s school. Bring the kids!
6. Wear the color red (for Ed-ucation).
7. Put signs in your homes, cars, businesses saying you support Tacoma’s Teachers.
8. Keep the pressure on the school district. Call, email, text, call and email again. 253-571-1000 Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Express your support for teachers! School Board member Emails: Debbie WInskill – [e-mail], Enrique Leon – [e-mail], Scott Heinze – [e-mail], Andrea Cobb – [e-mail], Karen Vialle – [e-mail], Superintendent Carla Santorno: [e-mail] or Fax her at [phone].
9. Honk your car horn if you see people in red in front of schools holding signs! Honk for your teachers!
10. Parents can sign the affidavit that is located at the TEA office, stating their children are not harmed by our strike, in case the school makes this a legal matter. Download a copy from here: https://tinyurl.com/yd7gfohf or you may pick up a copy from the TEA Office at 3049 S 36th Street, Suite 300 – Tacoma, WA 98409, **Located on the third floor of the IBEW Building** [phone] Drop off or mail the completed and signed form to Connie L Powell, Tacoma UniServ Council, Uniserv Representative, 3049 S 36th Street, Suite 300
Tacoma, WA 98409
11. Call our lawmakers in Olympia to tell them you support the teachers and so should they!

Host: Jenny Jacobs

Producer: Doug Mackey

Links:

Parent Affidavit of Support

We Teach Tacoma FB Page

Tacoma School Board Contact Page

Tacoma Education Association

Channel 253

Sponsor

Citizen Tacoma is proudly sponsored by Alaska Airlines