We recently reported on a group of resourceful students and parents in Marysville, Washington who lobbied the governor, held a press conference, and went to court to try to get their teachers to end the longest teachers strike in state history. [See http://www.edexcellence.net/gadfly/issue.cfm?issue=118#1484.] Their hard work finally paid off when, after 49 days, the teachers voted to go back to work. Of course, they did so only after a county judge ruled the strike illegal and ordered them back to work or else face fines and other criminal sanctions. Sadly, though, the union has not softened its rhetoric, pledging to elect new school board members and fire the superintendent to get a new contract (despite pay scales that are the second most generous in the state). Amazingly, close to one-third of members voted to continue the strike, regardless of potential fines, not to mention the damage to kids who've lost seven weeks of school. To quote the judge, it's high time "that all of the adults grow up and look at their obligations to the children."
"Marysville teachers vote to end long strike," by J.J. Jensen and Jennifer Sullivan, Seattle Times, October 21, 2003
"Judge orders teachers back to work," Associated Press, October 20, 2003