kent reporter wnpa contest entry_cat. 309_kent schools strike
DESCRIPTION
A sampling of the Kent Reporter's comprehensive coverage of the 2009 Kent School Disrict teachers' strike.TRANSCRIPT
WNPA ENTRY: Category 309Kent Reporter "Kent schools strike"
To the WNPA Judges:For the first time in decades, the teachers of the Kent School District opted togo on strike in August 2009, after negotiations over their new contract fellthrough. It was a move that not only polarized the Kent community, but pulled in regional and state officials as well, when the district took the teachers and their union to court.
From the early days of the conflict, to the courtroom and ultimately back to the classroom, the Kent Reporter covered that story.
It took a prolific amount of hours with limited staff and much behind-the scenes work, so that we could anticipate where the next big breaks in the story would come.
Our staff brokered alliances from multiple sides of the picket line, working closely with everyone from teachers and union officials to kids, parents and administrators.
In many instances, we were first to break stories, due to the proximity we had to our sources, and the level of trust we had developed, as Kent's community newspaper.
For these reasons, we feel the Kent Reporter's coverage of the teachers' strikemerits acknowledgement in WNPA's Category 309.
Sincerely,
Laura PierceEditorKent Reporter253-872-6600, ext. 5050
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BY BRIAN BECKLEY
Mediation began Wednesday between the Kent Educa-tion Association and the Kent School District in hopes of averting a strike that could delay the start of the school year.
With school scheduled to begin Aug. 31, both sides have expressed their desire to reach a settlement in the contract dispute which has played out over the course of the year and heated up this summer.
But with discussions seeming to go nowhere, the district on Aug. 14 declared an impasse in negotiations and of-� cially requested mediation from the Washington Public Employee Relations Commission, a request joined by the KEA.
Mediator Guy Coss was assigned to help the two sides reach an agreement. He began meeting with both parties at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Mill Creek Middle School.
KEA o� cials staged a rally in support of their bargaining unit that morning in front of the school before contract mediation o� cially began.
Wednesday’s mediation session lasted until a� er 9 p.m. and according to union leaders, tentative agreements were reached on four “small” points, mainly dealing with the district providing boxes and tape for teachers who are changing classrooms or buildings for any reason.
In addition, a tentative agreement was reached giv-ing teachers and their doctors the right to decide when a teacher returns from maternity leave.
“We’re pleased at least we have something,” KEA Presi-dent Lisa Brackin-Johnson said � ursday. “We still have a lot of work to do on the major issues.”
District o� cials also had a positive response.“� e district continues to be hopeful for a speedy resolu-
tion,” District Spokesperson Beck Hanks said.� e union has stated its issues are “time, workload and
compensation” and have put forth a proposal of more than 30 points organized under those headings, including lower class sizes, fewer meetings for
LET THE NEW TALKS
BEGINBY STEVE HUNTER
Come Nov. 3, incum-bent Elizabeth Albertson will likely face o� against challenger Geo� Koepp for a seat on the Kent City Council.
In Tuesday’s primary for Council Position No. 6, Albertson had 43 percent of the vote, Koepp 33 percent and Barbara Phillips 24 percent, with more than half the ballots counted by
Kent Council: It’s Albertson versus Koep
Kent School District parent Ben Ibale was out with his infant son Calvin on Wednesday during a rally in support of the Kent Education Association, the Kent School District teachers’ union. The rally took place at Mill Creek Middle School, the site of talks between the union, Kent school o� cials and a state mediator. It drew more than 100 teachers and union supporters. Discussions between the district and teachers will continue, with assistance from the mediator. The mediator entered into the equation after the district declared an impasse to negotiations last week. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
State mediator opens up new round of negotiations between teachers’ union, Kent School District administration
ELECTION ‘09
BY BRIAN BECKLEY
With votes continuing to trickle in following Tues-day’s mail-in-only primary election, it appears current Kent councilmember Tim Clark has a comfortable lead in the race for Kent School Board Director Dis-trict No. 5, but the race for the second ballot line is too close to call at this time.
As of Wednesday eve-ning’s posting of results, Clark received 5,822 votes
School Board:Clark leading, question over contender
[ more COUNCIL page 8 ]
[ more BOARD page 8 ]
YOURSCHOOLS
[ more SCHOOLS page 8 ]
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...obituaries
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Rememberyour loved one
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K E N T
Myrtle E. LaChanceMyrtle E. LaChance, age 95, artist, musician and bookkeeper.
Born October 13, 1913 in Blythe, CA to Harland E. Fitch (poet, songwriter, storywriter and woodcarver) and Agnes L. Sellers. Died August 10, 2009. Survived by sons, Phil LaChance and Vern Ainardi; and by daughters Joan Farrell and Jenny Merila.
Memorial on Saturday, August 29, 2009, 2-4 p.m., at Kent Christian Center; 9440 Canyon Drive in Kent.
260739
Charles Henry Leber October 18, 1919 -- August 2, 2009
Charles Henry Leber Jr., known
to family and friends as “Chuck”, passed away on August 2, 2009, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham, WA, with his wife Helen at his side.
Chuck was born to Charles Henry (Sr.) and Myree (St. Arnold) Leber in Seattle, WA on October 18, 1919. His youth was spent between Kent and Spokane, WA, and he graduated Kent High School in 1937. Chuck married Patricia
(Patty) Keogh in 1939. They made their home in Kent, and had two children, Charles H. Leber III and Lynda Myree Leber.
Chuck made a very successful career as the owner and operator of Leber Pole and Piling Co. He later joined his father in the family-owned National Public Service Life Insurance Co. in Seattle. Patty passed away in 1973.
On August 24, 1975, Chuck and Helen Christen were married in Kent. There followed 34 wonderful years together, enjoying sailing, RV travel and family gatherings. Following Chuck’s retirement they spent each year between their homes in Arizona and Washington.
Chuck had an insatiable appetite for learning and became expert in many areas, including estate planning, and computer engineering and technology. He became an accomplished sailor with his first mate, Helen, on their sailboat, the “Rebel”. (Spell “Rebel” backwards to see how they got the name.)
Chuck also spent many years golfing, and was one of the founding members of Meridian Valley Country Club. He enjoyed playing squash at the YMCA in Seattle. In his later years, Chuck enjoyed tennis, especially doubles when he claimed he couldn’t move fast enough anymore to play singles!
He is survived at their Blaine, WA, home by his wife Helen. He is also survived by his daughter Lynda Adams, daughter-in-law Sharon Leber, 5 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. Other surviving family members include a half-brother, Douglas (Diane) Leber, half-sisters Valerie Leber Keyes, Donna (Jerry) Stockholm, Victoria (Rick) Johnson, and Camille Leber, one niece and nine nephews. Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, wife Patty Leber, son Charles Leber III, and half-brother, Donn Leber.
Cremation will be handled by the Neptune Society. A family gathering will be held in Kent, WA, at the home of Sharon Leber.
Memorials suggested are a Hospice or other Charity of choice.
260828
teachers, and a salary increase.The district countered with a
proposal that offered an increase in total compensation for all teachers and maintains class sizes at their cur-rent level. In order to find the money for the pay increases, the district cut $3.4 million from administration and central office costs and an additional $3.2 million from programs, based on community priorities gleaned from a series of workshops this past winter.
Neither side could see eye to eye. Depending on what side of the bar-gaining table you’re on, the district’s salary proposal was about half of what the union was requesting, or the union was requesting twice as much
in its salary proposal as the district was offering.
The district proposal, however, stated that if it was rejected, it would be pulled completely off the table. The union rejected the offer Aug. 12.
Union officials said the offer was rejected primarily because it does not address their other concerns, not because of the money. Union leaders have stated that teachers in the Kent School District are forced to attend too many meetings during the week, usually as part of the scheduled 7.5-hour calendar day, which cuts into time they could be spending with students or working on classroom-related material.
Union officials also have proposed more teacher-directed time instead of district-directed time, such as during early dismissals, to be used for matters
of their choosing instead of by the district or building principals.
Sources from both sides also claim a lack of respect from the other at the bargaining table.
Both sides have agreed to meet with the mediator Thursday, Friday and Saturday to continue bargaining sessions before the next KEA mem-ber meeting, scheduled for Aug. 26. Unless a settlement can be reached, the union will take a strike vote at that time.
or 51.85 percent of ballots cast.
Clark said Thursday that his 30-year career as a teacher shows his devo-tion to the position and that voters responded to his commitment to public education.
“I am committed to this because I am committed to public education in the greater Kent area,” he said.
The race for the second ballot spot in the gen-eral election remains close, however, with Dale Smith
presently in second place, despite announcing last month his intention to withdraw from the race.
As of Wednesday’s results, Smith led Dave Watson by 46 votes, gaining 23.98 percent to Watson’s 23.57 percent.
Though he filed to run for the office in June, Smith in July said his work situ-ation had changed and he would no longer be able to devote to the school board the time and effort necessary to be an effective representative.
However, because bal-
lots for the primary had to be printed and mailed to homes, Smith cannot remove his name from con-tention and if he finishes in the top two, he will move on to the general election.
Contacted Wednesday for comment, Smith again said he had no intention of campaigning for the spot due to work commitments and again said if he won the election, he would be unable to serve.
“The role is too impor-tant to not give it absolutely everything,” he said. “If I can’t put the effort in that I
know the students and the community deserve, I will work with the board to find a solution.”
Candidate Dave Watson expressed disappointment at his current position in the race, but said he was hopeful that as further results are released he will move into the second spot so the race is at least com-petitive.
“I’m hoping there’s a still a chance I might pull it out,” he said.
King County Elections Office.“I’m happy so many people in the city of Kent put faith
in me again,” Albertson said Wednesday.Voters elected Albertson in 2005 to a four-year term on
the Council. That term expires the end of this year.Koepp, 38, a financial planner in Bellevue for Ameriprise
Financial, appears to have enough votes to advance to the general election in his first run for public office. Only the top two candidates advance to the November general elec-tion.
“It looks like so far I’m in second and that’s good because that’s where I need to be,” Koepp said in a phone interview Wednesday. “This is my first time through this and it’s
pretty exciting.”Koepp said he plans to focus his campaign over the next
couple of months to bring more jobs to Kent.“I’m trying to make the city more job friendly,” said
Koepp, who wants improvements to speed up the city’s permit process.
Albertson, 47, who does not work outside of the part-time Council position, plans to emphasize her experience when she campaigns door-to-door.
“My experience on the Council is what is needed in Kent,” Albertson said. “We have economic challenges and my experience working on the budget is the key.”
Albertson currently serves on the Council’s Parks and Human Services Committee.
LABORTALKS
Visit www.kentschools.org (KEA site) or www.kent.k12.wa.us (of-ficial District site).
Learnmore
[ SCHOOLS from page 1]
[ COUNCIL from page 1]
[ BOARD from page 1]
more story online…yyyournewspaper.com
flooding is predicted in your community, you could be asked to evacuate. Key transportation routes may be under water and transit
service disrupted. Power outages and sewage back-ups are possible, even out-side the immediate flood zone. King County and Green River Valley cities
are developing evacuation routes that will be widely distributed and posted on the Green River Flood Safety Web site at www.kingcounty.gov/floodplans.
King County and the King County Flood Con-trol District will co-host a public meeting about Green River flood safety 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at Green River Community College in
Auburn. I encourage you to attend.
Planning now will help make you more prepared for the months ahead. Small steps taken today can help protect your family and property for possible flood-ing ahead.
For more information about flood safety, please visit: www.kingcounty.gov/floodplans.
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GRANDOPENING
YES, BUT IS IT LEGAL? | Experts weigh in on whether teachers can strike in Washington [3]
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SPORTS | The Reporter begins its previews with a look at the K-M and KW football teams [12]
BY BRIAN BECKLEY
� e Kent Education Association Wednesday night voted overwhelm-ingly to go on strike.
More than 86 percent of the 1,500 or so Kent teachers in attendance at Kentlake High School cast their ballots to strike. � e KEA has a total membership of more than 1,700 teachers.
“� is time the Kent educators are here to stand up for what is right
and good,” said KEA President Lisa Brackin-Johnson in announcing the results of the vote.
Brackin-Johnson began her short speech talking about “time,” one of the union’s top concerns during this bar-gaining period. � e union is seeking more time for teachers to spend planning and working with students.
Class sizes were also a major issue for union leadership and the mem-bers who came streaming out of the
Kentlake gymnasium following the vote. � e union has emphasized high
class sizes in the Kent district, which they say the district has still not
addressed during bargaining.Teachers also spoke of a lack
of respect from the district leadership.
District Communications Director Becky Hanks said the
district was disappointed in the vote.“It is very disappointing to learn
that teachers have made this choice,” she said.
BY LAURA PIERCE
A strike vote Wednesday night brought teachers from the Kent School District out in droves early � ursday morning, picketing at the schools where they teach.
When they might actu-ally be back in those schools and teaching remains the big question.
� e strike vote - which passed with an overwhelming 86.4 percent of the teachers’ union membership - tosses the Aug. 31 start date of the school year out the window, although the union, the Kent Education Association, has tentatively scheduled another vote for Aug. 30.
“If we don’t � x this problem now in the school district, we are going to have bigger problems down the road,” said Nancy Hill, a sixth-grade teacher at Kent Elementary, re-garding the main beefs that striking teachers have with the district - namely, more time, smaller class sizes and better compensation.
Hill, who was out picket-
Teachers demanding change from districtIT’S A STRIKE
VIDEO ONLINEVIDEO ONLINEkentreporter.com
Kent Education Association takes vote: 86.4 percent of teachers cast their votes in favor of strike. District o� cials express disappointment over KEA’s position
Kent’s Mill Creek Middle School teachers line Central Avenue Thursday morning holding their strike signs aloft. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
YOURSCHOOLS
Kent Elementary School teachers Nancy Hill, left, and Billy Ryan Howard were out Thursday picketing after their union voted Wednesday to go on strike. LAURA PIERCE, Kent Reporter
[ more CHANGE page 4 ]
[ more STRIKE page 4 ]
‘So rare and so disturbing’
BY STEVE HUNTER
(Note: the couple in this story agreed to be interviewed on the condition of anonymity. � e Kent Reporter doesn’t usually grant anonymity, but found this to be an exceptional case.)
A Kent couple in their 60s relaxed in their living room watching the television show “Law & Order” at about 10:15 p.m. on a hot summer night when suddenly a masked man burst through their unlocked, front-screen door and pointed a revolver at them.
For the next 45 minutes or so on that July 18 night, life in the East Hill home where the couple has lived for 36 years took an abrupt turn into terror. � e man had the wife tape up her husband and told both of them to stay on the � oor as he went through the house
Kent couple survives invasion of home
[ more INVASION page 11 ]
August 29, 2009[4] www.kentreporter.com
When it comes to warding off cancer and recovering when the disease strikes, nutrition plays a powerful role.
At Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center, where traditional medical oncology is integrated with natural therapies, we know that proper eating not only can prevent the disease, but also can help cancer patients better manage the side effects of medical treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and prescription drugs.
I often advise my patients to eat a high-fiber, low-sodium diet and drink plenty of bottled, filtered or purified water to help the body detoxify and eliminate waste. In my book, “How to Treat and Prevent Cancer Through Natural Medicine,” I share nutrition tips for people hoping to prevent the disease. Here are some highlights and tips that can help you reduce your risk of developing cancer:
Eat a “rainbow” assortment of fruits and vegetables. Select foods of different colors to give your body the full spectrum of cancer-fighting compounds, as well as the nutrients it needs to protect against disease.
Reduce exposure to pesticides. Buy organic produce or peel off skin or outer leaves from non-organic produce. Avoid over-consuming foods that concentrate pesticides, such as animal fat, meat, eggs, cheese and milk.
Decrease your intake of meat and other animal foods. Limit your consumption of land animals (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, etc.) to 3 or 4 ounces a day. Other good sources of protein include fish, legumes, whey protein, organic eggs and soy.
Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats. To boost omega-3 fat intake, eat more cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut. Use olive oil instead of margarine, shortening or butter; and cut out fried foods and fatty or salty snacks.
Avoid high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like junk foods, candy and soft drinks. Read labels: If sugar, fat or salt is one of the first three ingredients listed, it’s probably not a good option.
Drink green tea. Green tea contains powerful cancer fighting compounds called EGCG. Consuming several cups daily reduces risk of most cancers and may support weight loss.
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Wednesday night’s vote came a� er an intense week of ne-gotiations through a state mediator sent from the Washing-ton Public Employment Relations Commission. � e sides met six of seven days over that time and reached tentative agreement on 16 items, according to Hanks.
However, according to KEA spokesperson Dale Folkerts, the two sides were still “quite a ways apart” by the end of the day Wednesday.
Hanks said the district put forth a new proposal at
bargaining Wednesday which ad-dressed more of the union’s con-cerns, includ-ing a promise to convene a group of teach-ers, administra-tors, commu-nity members and other stakeholders to address class size.
� e proposal, however, did not reach union hands until 3 p.m., the very end of bargain-ing or the day. Union mem-bers pointed to the timing of the 40-page proposal when asked for examples of a lack of respect, saying the district knew it come too late before the the evening’s membership meeting and that it had plenty of time to make a proposal.
Hanks said the timing had nothing to do with attitude.“It was a matter of getting the pieces together as quick as
possible,” she said.Hanks said included in the most recent proposal was the
compensation increase that was rejected previously this month by the union team as well as a proposal to a com-mittee composed of teachers, administration, community members including the Citizens Budget Review Commit-tee to review class sizes with the aim of reviewing the class sizes throughout the district.
“It’s not just the teachers and administration; there’s other players involved,” Hanks said.
Teachers leaving the union vote Wednesday night said the decision was not one they made lightly.
“It’s always di� cult to decide whether to strike,” said Hilari Anderson, a teacher at Kentridge High School.
“It came down to an issue of respect,” said fellow Ken-
tridge teacher Elizabeth Gorey.
Kentlake Special Educa-tion teacher Brad Rodin, on the other hand, said the decision to strike was not di� cult at all.
“Knowing other teach-ers ... I’m able to see how well taken care of they are compared to our district,” Rodin said.
“It was a hard decision for me,” said second-year Panther
Lake Elementary School teacher Teresa Linders.Linders said she was excited to get back to school and
that she was originally opposed to the strike, but when she learned at a recent meeting that the district had increased its fund balance and that administrator salaries rank among the highest in the area while teacher salaries and class sizes rank near the bottom, she changed her mind.
“� at really swayed me,” she said.While teachers are o� cially on strike, negotiations will
continue beginning at 10 a.m. � ursday morning. Teachers are also expected to begin picketing outside their schools at the usual start time � ursday.
School was scheduled to start Monday, but the strike will push that o� inde� nitely. However, high school athletics will continue due to separate bargaining units between coaches and teachers.
� e union has reserved time for another vote Sunday, but only if a contract settlement can be reached. But Brackin-Johnson said the union would be willing to stay on picket lines if there is no settlement.
“As long as it takes,” she said.
early this morning outside the elementary with several dozen of her colleagues, said the time was ripe for change in the way the district operates.
“� is is a huge change and a huge prior-ity,” she said, noting that teachers in Kent haven’t gone on strike since 1976, and that it is the veteran teachers - the ones who have been in Kent schools for more than 20 years - who are driving the engine of change.
“It’s these veteran teachers who have been with this district for 20, 25 years. � ey’re the ones saying ‘I can’t do that any-more,’” Hill said, noting she herself has only taught for four years, a� er being an instruc-tional assistant in Kent for eight years.
“What does this say to new teachers like me?”
Billie Ryan Howard, another Kent Elementary teacher who was picketing with Hill, blamed the district for the stalled negotiations on a new contract.
“� ey’re not listening - they’re directing,” she said, claiming district negotiators have walked away from the table several times.
But the bottom line, Hill noted, was a sense of disconnect between administra-tion o� cials and the people working in the trenches - the teachers.
“I don’t think they understand on a daily basis what happens,” she said. “You get this curriculum (to teach) and it’s ‘do this, do that.’”
What happens, she said, is curriculums that are handed down by the district, and teachers not getting the time they need to learn the curriculum so that they can ef-
fectively apply it to their classrooms.“� ey just don’t respect my time,” she
said.When asked if they had qualms about
the legality of their strike, especially in light of a recent Washington Attorney General ruling indicating issues with the action, both Hill and Howard said they, as well as their colleagues, were � rm in their resolve.
“Right now we feel we are doing a good job serving our needs,” Hill said, noting she hasn’t heard of a Washington teacher arrested for striking.
And if it were to happen in Kent’s case?“In all honesty, I couldn’t imagine going
to jail with a better group of people,” she said, looking out at her sign-waving col-leagues.
“We have heard the Kent Education As-sociation’s concerns over the issues of time, workload and compensation, and the dis-trict took those concerns in earnest,” said Kent School District spokesperson Becky Hanks on � ursday, noting that in response to those concerns, the district undertook some di� cult steps.
“� ere were extensive cuts this past spring,” she said. “� ere are people not returning to jobs this fall. We heard their concerns, we did the research. We heard our teachers were paid at the bottom of the pack. We’ve addressed that, through an o� er of 3 percent increase in year one, fol-lowed by a one-and-a-half-percent increase in year two, using dollars created by the sta� reduction, primarily administrators and others.
“� e 3 percent increase (alone) puts them in the middle of the pack.”
[ STRIKE from page 1]
Madeline Garland (from left), BrandyIngham, Brenda Puryear, and Patsy Byrne, Kent Education Association members, count the strike ballots Wednesday at Kentlake High School, the site of the union meeting. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
YOUR SCHOOLS
For more information about the negotiations and the di� erences between the two sides, visit www.kentschools.org (KEA site) or www.kent.k12.wa.us (o� cial District site).
Learnmore
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STRIKE PHOTOS | A look back at a week of turmoil [8]
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SPORTS | Prep volleyball review: Kent-Meridian looking to rule the net [12]
BY BRIAN BECKLEY
A judge has ordered schools in Kent to open for students on Wednesday.
Union members, however, may still decide to defy the court’s order and continue their strike, which has so far stretched for more than a week.
King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas ruled � ursday in favor of the Kent School District’s request to end the Kent Education Association’s strike, saying the strike is illegal and the court cannot change that.
“� e strike by the Kent Education Association is unlawful,” she said, adding that the teachers also signed contracts, which stated the school year was to begin Aug. 31. “� e current work stoppage is in violation of those obligations.”
Darvas ordered teachers to lay down their picket signs and return to their
classrooms beginning Sept. 8, giving them a day to prepare their rooms for the students’ arrival the following day.
Originally, Darvas ordered that school begin Tuesday, but changed her decision a� er both sides argued that teachers needed a day to prepare.
� ere is some confusion, however, as the � nal copy of the decision does not contain the same dates as what Darvas said in court, instead ordering the strike to end Sept. 9, not Sept. 8 as was an-nounced.
A � nal date could not be determined by press time. Please check the Web site for updates.
A� er a meeting � ursday a� ernoon at Green River Community College, KEA President Lisa Brackin-Johnson said the union
had decided to give the district “one more opportunity to get it right” and will reconvene Monday evening to decide whether or not to defy the judge’s order.
“We as educators know that some-times students or school boards or districts need extra time to get it right,” she said.
Under Darvas’ ruling union leader-ship are barred from encouraging members to continue their strike.
When asked what it would say if to students if teachers decide to disobey the judge’s order, Brackin-Johnson said teachers “know they are right.”
“O� entimes acts of civil disobedi-ence have to occur to right a wrong,” she said.
At the meeting, some members wore orange with prisoner-style numbers on the back to show their willingness to defy the judge.
Darvas’ order contains no penalties against teachers who choose not to comply
and continue striking, but the judge added that failure to do so may subject violators to contempt proceedings.
She
Kent teachers, school district disagree on caps. Other local districts weigh inBY BRIAN BECKLEY
One of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations be-tween the Kent Education Association and the Kent School District during negotiations to end the teacher strike has surrounded class size.
Over the past two weeks, class sizes have emerged as the number one issue for the union, which is seeking what it calls a “hard cap” on the number of students allowed in any classroom.
“In most contracts a hard cap means a class shall not ex-ceed that number,” said KEA Spokesperson Dale Folkerts. “What we want is hard caps.”
� e district has refused to add a hard cap to its proposals and said earlier this week that the district receives fund-ing from the state for the total number of students, not the number in a classroom.
District Communications Director Becky Hanks also said the district has neither the money or the space to cre-ate any new classrooms - the
Class size: How much is too much?
STRIKE IS ILLEGAL
Darvas with attorneys Jim Gasper (KEA)and Charles Lind (KSD) on Thursday
The courtroom audience, many of them teachers, including KEA Vice-President Connie Compton, center, react Thursday as Judge Andrea Darvas rules that the strike by the Kent Education Association is illegal, and orders teachers back to school. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
SLIDE SHOWSLIDE SHOWSLIDE SHOWkentreporter.com
Judge says Kent teachers are prohibited by law from striking, orders them back into classrooms Major budget cuts
ahead for city of KentMayor sees budget chopped by $3 milBY STEVE HUNTER
Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke plans to propose $3.1 million in job and service cuts when she presents her 2010 prelimi-nary budget next month to the City Council. Jobs are on the chopping block.
“� ere now is a strong likelihood we will not be able to save jobs and we will reduce ser- vices that the public relies on,” Cooke said at the Tuesday workshop. “� ere will be an impact to employees and services. It might be full programs or a reduction in the level of service.”
Cooke said no cuts would be made to the police or � re departments. Other city department heads, such as parks, public works, � nance and planning, have been asked to submit cuts as deep as 10 to 15 percent to their budgets.
“Public safety (police and � re) represents about 50 percent of the general fund, [ more BUDGET page 4 ]
[ more CLASSES page 11 ]
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[ more STRIKE page 4 ]
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Check letters & opinion online... kentreporter.com
there needs to be greater cuts in other areas to maintain public safety,” Cooke said. “We will not present what those cuts will be at this time because it is too early in the process.”
John Hodgson, city administrator, said a� er the workshop that it’s hard to say at this point how many employees might be cut to reach a proposed general fund bud-get of $81.3 million.
“For every $1 mil-lion in cuts that equals about 13 employees,” Hodgson said. “But it may be other cuts (in supplies) as well.”
For example, if the city cuts a speci� c city service or program, 75 percent of the costs could be for sta� and 25 percent for sup-plies, Hodgson said.
City sta� is project-ing revenue shortfall of $2.1 million next year because of what Cooke called a “� at recovery” in the
economy in 2010.Cooke also said at a Council workshop
Tuesday that she wants to set aside an additional $1 million in the budget for a � ood-related emergency fund, in case the city gets hit with winter � oodwater from the Green River because of storage-capacity problems at the Howard Hanson Dam.
Salaries and bene� ts for city employees comprised about $65 million of the $80.8 million general fund budget for 2009.
All four Kent city unions as well as a group of non-represented employees voted to take pay cuts last spring for the rest of 2009 to save the city about $1.3 million and avoid layo� s. � at’s not expected to be an option in 2010.
“We can’t rely on what occurred in 2009 as a way to get through 2010,” Cooke said. “� e furloughs and deferred compensation are not on the table.”
It’s possible cuts might have to be even deeper than $3.1 million if sales-tax rev-enue declines even more than expected for
the � nal few months of 2009.
“We will have a Plan A to institute $3.1 mil-lion in cuts,” Hodgson said. “Plan B will be in our back pocket if we need further reductions.”
Cooke wants $1 million set aside for a � ood emergency fund because of the uncertainty of the Hanson Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps o� cials are trying to � gure out how to resolve a leak that showed up in January in the right abutment of the dam.
“� ey might not have a resolution in three to � ve years, so that’s how long we will have to live in limbo,” Cooke said.
If the Green River over� ows the levees, the city might be unable to use its mu-nicipal court along Central Avenue. City o� cials would need to spend money to possibly rent a temporary facility.
“If we can’t use the court, we will need a (court) site elsewhere,” Hodgson said.
Councilwoman Deborah Ranniger said at the workshop that she believes Cooke and her sta� are taking the right approach to cut the budget as need be rather than making huge cuts all at once looking ahead to 2010.
“We’ll have plenty of time in Novem-ber to readjust,” Ranniger said if the $3.1 million of proposed cuts comes up short. “It’s an ongoing e� ort to manage our way through the crisis with the least amount of negative impact as possible. � e cautious, slow approach makes sense because it’s up to us as leaders not to instill panic.”
Councilman Tim Clark said he doubts whether $3.1 million in cuts will be enough.
“I’m slower than some of my colleagues in agreeing with how the recovery looks,” said Clark, who expects the shortfall for 2010 to be as much as $6 million because of lower sales-tax revenues.
made no ruling � ursday as to just what those penalties would entail.
“We expect people are going to obey court orders,” Darvas stated.
� e judge noted her ruling is based on long-standing precedent of the state Supreme Court, as well as Washington State common law and attorneys general opinions, that strikes by public employees - including teachers - are illegal.
KEA attorney Jim Gasper argued that because the state Legislature has never speci� cally passed a law stating that teacher strikes were illegal - as it has for � re� ghters and police - then teachers retain that right.
Darvas soundly rejected that argument.“No court has ever held that public
school teachers have a right to strike,” she said, adding that inaction by the Legislature means common law applies. Common law states that strikes are illegal.
She also noted that when legislators passed a section on collective bargaining, they speci� cally noted that nothing in that section would give public employees the right to strike (RCW 41.56).
Darvas said the KEA was arguing that she should not apply “clear legal precedent” and instead should “make new law.”
Darvas also said that she sees the right to strike as a “basic civil liberty” and “impor-tant tool of labor,” but until a higher court or the Legislature changes the law, she must rule according to precedent.
“I am bound by statutes enacted by our state Legislature,” she said.
Darvas also ruled that that the strike was causing or would cause irreparable harm to the students and parents of the district as well as the 1,100 non-teaching employ-ees of the district who do not get paid or receive bene� ts while the schools are closed due to the strike, as well as noting the legal obligations of the school to provide an education.
“� e school district has the legal right and legal responsibility to provide educa-tional services,” she said.
District Communications Director Becky Hanks said the district expects teachers to report for work beginning next week.
“We know our teachers are law-abiding citizens and we expect to see them on the � rst day of school,” she said.
Negotiations between the two sides through a state-appointed mediator will continue through the weekend.
[ BUDGET from page 1] CITY FINANCES
The Council will see the city’s pre-liminary budget in early October. City o� cials have yet to set a date for that meeting. Public hearings regarding the proposed budget will take place this fall at dates to be determined before the Council considers the � nal budget for 2010 in late No-vember or early December.
BUDGETTIMELINE
“We can’t rely on what occurred in 2009 to get us through 2010.” Suzette Cooke
[ STRIKE from page 1]
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MORE STRIKE | See what readers have to say about Kent teachers, district o� cials [8]
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LOCAL | Playing � elds in short supply, group of local youth-sports enthusiasts tells city o� cials; Pea Patch may remain open [3]
SPORTS | The Reporter takes a look at the girls soccer scene in the South Puget Sound League North [12]
BY BRIAN BECKLEY
For the � rst day of school in Kent, will the third time be the charm?
If not, teachers in the district will be looking at some he� y � nes.
King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas on � ursday ruled that members of the Kent Education As-sociation continuing their strike are in contempt of her injunctive ruling and ordered school to start Monday.
Saying she was “disappointed” in the decision to defy her order to return to work Sept. 8, Darvas also said any teachers who do not return to
BY BRIAN BECKLEY
Schools on Kent remained closed on Wednesday, but on what was scheduled to be the second � rst day of school this year a group of students at Sunrise Elementary got up and went to school anyway.
Led by Libby Basler, a precocious � � h-grader at the school, the students all decided to stage their own rally out in front of their building to ask teach-ers to lay down their signs and return to their classrooms.
“I just think it was unfair to us kids,” she said Wednesday. “We didn’t get to learn.”
Basler, 10, along with several friends and family mem-bers began their day making their own picket signs with slogans like “I want to go back to school” and “Judge says teach now” and then spent their morning holding their own student rally opposite the teachers, who were also there for a short time
Wednesday morning.“It’s just something we’ve got to do,”
Basler said. “I know that they have a right to speak, but when the judge told them to go back to teaching, they should obey that.”
Corah Davidson, 8, will be starting third grade this year and said she was very excited to meet her new teacher and learn some new skills, but sad that she has to continue to wait.
“I’m protesting to go back to school,” she said. “I think it’s impor-tant they come back so they can teach us kids.
“I feel like I’m missing out learn-ing cursive,” she added. “I like my summer, but then I want to go back to school.”
Teachers in Kent have been on strike since Aug. 26. � e union and district appear to be stuck in a stale-mate over the teachers’ contract. On Sept. 3, King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas ruled that the strike was illegal and teachers must return to their classrooms Sept. 8 with classes to
Youngsters taking it to the streets
A group of Sunrise Elementary students, including Corah Davidson, in pink stripes, protest Wednesday against the Kent teachers’ strike. The organizer is Libby Basler, center, brown dress. CHARLES CORTES, Kent Reporter
JUDGE ORDERS TEACHERS BACK TO CLASSROOMSKent school year could start Monday; union o� ers new contract proposal
Group of Kent kids stage rally opposing teachers’ strike
[ more KIDS page 4 ]
Mayor Suzette Cooke shares a light moment Wednesday with T-Birds Jeremy Schappert, left, and Calvin Pickard. LAURA PIERCE, Kent Reporter
New jerseys unveiledBY LAURA PIERCE
� e Seattle � underbirds opened their 2009-10 season in a big way Wednesday, with the unveiling of their new team jersey.
Four players did “runway duty,” at the event in the Kent ShoWare Center, modeling the high-tech Reebok shirts to a small crowd of fans and media. [ more T-BIRDS page 4 ]
SLIDE SHOW ONLINESLIDE SHOW ONLINEkentreporter.com
YOURSCHOOLS
[ more STRIKE page 4 ]
September 12, 2009[4] www.kentreporter.com
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Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke emceed the event, putting the players – Lindsay Nielsen, Jonathan Parker, Calvin Pickard and Jeremy Schappert – through their paces as she described the new gamewear to her audience.
She asked each of them what they thought of the new gear, at one point eliciting laughs, when one player told her it wasn’t like wearing anything.
The new jerseys, which the T-Birds also are selling to the general public, are Reebok Edge brand, with four-way stretch mesh and a Pro Weight AirKnit front for better breathability.
The unveiling also was a siren call to the start of the T-Birds’ season – their first full one at the ShoWare Center.
Fans can catch preseason action - and the ‘Birds’ first contest on ShoWare ice this season - during a 7:05 p.m. fundraiser game against longstanding rivals the Everett Silvertips.
Students or other school supporters who purchase tick-ets for this game can punch in a promotional code for their respective Kent high school, and a portion of each ticket price will go back to that school for whatever activities school officials deem appropriate, including sports.
Because school hasn’t yet been in session this year be-cause of the strike, people can call the T-Birds front office at 253-239-7825 to get the promo code of the school they’d like to support. But they’ll need to do that and order tickets by 5 p.m. Friday, to take advantage of the fundraiser.
The T-Birds open their season at home the following Saturday - Sept. 18 - at 7:35 p.m. against Everett,
Tickets and general game information are available online at www.seattlethunderbirds.com, at the ShoWare Center Web site at www.showarecenter.com, or by calling the T-Birds front office.
[ T-BIRDS from page 1]
begin Sept. 9.On Monday, the 1,700-member teachers’ union voted to
defy the order, take a stand, and continue its strike.
Basler’s mother, Lori, said Libby came to her with ques-tions about the strike, including one about how teachers could disobey the judge.
“I didn’t have an answer for her,” Lori Basler said.Lori Basler said the real problems in this instance prob-
ably extend from the state level, which is where the funding issues need to be dealt with and said she is thrilled with the education Libby has been provided thus far in Kent.
“I want her to get back to that because they are great teachers,” she said.
Tyler Hislop, 14, also joined the pint-sized picketers, urging his teachers back to work at kentwood, where is he looking forward to starting his freshman year.
Hislop said that teachers have made their point, but now “They’ve kind of taken it too far.”
“They’re just kind of hurting everyone from this,” he said.
Fellow incoming Kentwood freshman Lucas Shumaker, 14, minced no words.
“I don’t think it sends a good message,” he said. “I think it send a bad message to the kids that they can do anything they want and disobey the judge.”
Kent Education Association President Lisa Brackin Johnson said Thursday that she would tell youngsters that teachers felt that strongly about what they were doing, and that sometimes it was necessary to take a stand for what a person believes is right.
“The teachers felt it was important to stand up for stu-dents to make sure they would get the best education they can in smaller classes,” she said. “They felt strong enough that they had to disagree with the judge.”
class Monday will face fines of $200 per day, retroactive to Sept. 8.
In addition, the KEA will be fined an additional $1,500 per day for each day teachers do not return to work.
During Thursday’s hearing, Darvas said she hoped that teachers feel strongly in their actions but added “Court orders are meaningless unless they are enforced.”
If teachers arrive for work Monday, all fines will be waved.
“It’s very, very important the rule of law be complied with,” she said.
Darvas said that even if the striking teachers were right in every one of their demands, “they are wrong in their actions.”
“In short, they are breaking the law,” she noted.Following months of bargaining and negotiations that
seemed to go nowhere, KEA members voted Aug. 26 to go on strike. On Sept. 1, the district filed a complaint with the court asking that teachers be ordered back to work. The following day, Darvas ruled in the district’s favor and ordered teachers to return to school Sept. 8, with students to arrive Sept. 9
The union on Sept. 7 voted to defy the court order by a 74 percent majority.
At the hearing, Darvas also chastised the union for set-ting a bad example for students and called defiance of her order a “sign of disrespect” for the institution of the court.
“Frankly, it’s a poor example to set for the young people who are looking to their teachers as role models,” she said.
Noting that she does not have the authority to rule on the merits of either side’s argument, nor has she been asked to do so, Darvas also ordered both sides to continue nego-tiating until an agreement can be reached.
“It’s time for everybody to start acting like responsible adults,” she said.
Following the announcement, KEA President Lisa Brackin Johnson said the union would take the judge’s rul-ing to its members and let them decide on their own what to do.
“That is their decision,” she said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Brackin Johnson also responded to the judge’s statement about setting a bad example for students.
“When there is something that is wrong, sometimes you have to take a stand to make it right,” she said.
Brackin Johnson also said the union gave a new proposal to the state-appointed mediator Thursday morning that met KEA goals, and is actually about $300,000 less, she claimed, than the district’s last proposal to the union.
KEA chief bargainer Mike McNett said the KEA pro-posal is actually about $277,000 less than what the school district had proposed. He added the union proposal sacri-fices some of the “compensation” that KEA originally was requesting for its teachers.
Brackin Johnson reiterated the teachers’ point that
money was not the primary goal.“This is not about the money issue anymore,” she said.
“This is about their (the district’s) control.”“They’re drunk with their own power and they need to
let it go,” she quipped.District Communications Director Becky Hanks, who
sat in on the court session, said district officials were ex-cited to be opening schools Monday.
“We are pleased our students will be going back to school,” she said, adding “we’re saddened with the circum-stances that brought us here.”
Hanks said the district would soon begin notifying parents of the judge’s order. Hanks deferred, when asked if she was worried that the last time the district told parents to prepare for schools to open, they remained closed when teachers voted to continue striking.
“Our hope is that teachers will comply with the court’s order,” she stated.
Hanks also said KEA’s latest proposal was for the full teaching contract, not just single issues, and was set to ex-pire at noon Thursday. She said the district is analyzing the proposal to see how the KEA addressed the issues.
“It’s not simply a money amount,” she said.Bargaining between both sides is ongoing.
For more information visit www.kentschools.org (KEA site) or www.kentschooldistrict.org (district site).
[ STRIKE from page 1]
[KIDS from page 1]
more story online…www.kenreporter.com
FROM BELLY DANCING TO PINK FLOYD | Kent’s Spotlight Series gets under way with full slate of performances [9]
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LOCAL | Lingerie Football League makes its debut at ShoWare Center, with Seattle Mist notching win over San Diego [3]
SPORTS | Kentlake knocks o� K-M; Kentridge wins; Kentwood falls in SPSL North football [17]
BY BRIAN BECKLEY
� e Kent teacher strike is o� cially over and classes will � nally begin Tuesday morning at schools all across the district.
Members of the Kent Education Association on Monday approved a new contract, ending the walkout that had e� ectively shut down the district since Aug. 26.
� e contract passed with a 94 per-cent approval vote.
“We have a good start of our con-tract,” KEA President Lisa Brackin Johnson said a� er the vote. “We’ve taken a position and we can’t be ignored anymore.”
Brackin Johnson said the teachers did not get everything they wanted in
the new contract, but that it repre-sented a good start.
Brackin Johnson, who � rst an-nounced the contract at a rally Sunday in downtown Kent, said getting the deal done was like a weight o� her shoulders, adding that there was an “over-whelming sense” of relief and happiness.
If they hadn’t gone back to class by Monday, teachers would have faced � nes for contempt of court at $200 per day, retroactive to Sept. 8.
KEA Chief Bargainer Mike McNett said negotiations over the weekend were “pretty slow,” but both sides were exchanging full proposals back and forth until the di� erences between
them were small.“� e sticking point all along was
the class size,” McNett said, adding that in the � nal contract, the KEA achieved class-size caps at some levels and increased relief for overcrowded
classrooms in others.According to a settle-
ment summary sheet passed out to members at the vote, the new, two-year agreement contains relief for teach-ers in grades K-3 at 26 students (three less than the prior contract) and
a cap at 29 students (two less than teachers’ prior contract. In grades 4-6, the relief begins at 30 students with a cap at 32, both two fewer than the prior
Advises Green River Valley residents to obtain � ood insurance, develop plansBY STEVE HUNTER
� e nearly 30,000 residents of the Green River Valley need to buy � ood insurance and make plans to evacu-ate their homes or businesses this winter, because of the potential from � oods, due to seepage problems at an
abutment next to the Howard Hanson Dam.
� at was the message Gov. Christine Gregoire drove home at a press confer-ence Monday morning, along the shores of the Green River by the Riverbend Golf Course in Kent. Gregoire also said the state has taken steps to help
� nd additional funds to combat � ooding and to make plans to evacuate and temporarily house residents, if necessary.
King County Executive Kirk Triplett organized the press conference to spread the word about the potential for � ooding, as well as what government agencies are doing to prepare for a � ood and what residents can do.
“We are here to help prepare our citizens and businesses that live here for what could be a dif-� cult winter,” Gregoire said. “We can’t stop the rain, but we can get prepared in case you get another 100-year � ood.”
� e problems with water storage behind the dam started when a
10-foot-wide depression formed on the embankment next to the dam a� er heavy rain in early January. � e dam is about 20 miles east of Kent.
Flooding from the Green River could strike the cit-ies of Kent, Auburn, Renton and Tukwila this winter because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not be able to store as much water as normal behind the facility because of the damaged
Governor warns of � ooding dangers
Gov. Christine Gregoire talks about � ood preparation, during a press conference Monday in Kent. She is � anked, from left, by State Sen. Claudia Kau� man, County Council Chairman Dow Constantine and Renton Mayor Dennis Law. STEVE HUNTER, Kent Reporter
TEACHERS’ STRIKE ENDS
Marilyn Tullis preps her room
Kent Elementary teacher Lori Armitage, facing camera,gives a welcome-back hug to her fellow teacher Jodi Hall. The two were back at work Monday, following their union’s vote earlier that morning approving a new contract. LAURA PIERCE, Kent Reporter; Photo below: BRIAN BECKLEY, Kent Reporter
After approving contract by 94 percent, Kent teachers return to school
[ more FLOOD page 16 ][ more STRIKE page 4 ]
“We can’t stop the rain, but we can get prepared in case you get another 100-year � ood.” Christine Gregoire
Want to live a healthy life? See the “Healthy Living” section this Saturday for valuable tips and tricks!
September 16, 2009[4] www.kentreporter.com2
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contract.� e union also bargained for caps on
middle- and high-school numbers at 147 and 157 students per day. McNett said there is still work to do on class size, but that this was a good beginning.
“We think now the community is watch-ing and the district will be disinclined to load 38 kids in a class,” he said.
� e union also negotiated a limit of two meetings per week and ended a series of three morning meetings each week at the middle schools.
As far as increased compensation, Brackin Johnson said the teachers did not get what they hoped and sacri� ced some of their requests to put toward class-size re-duction. According to the summary, $1,000 was added to the commitment stipend for each teacher and additional “e� ective education days” were added to the calendar.
Superintendent Edward Lee Vargas released a short statement on the district’s Web site praising both negotiating teams for their perseverance in working toward an agreement.
“On behalf the KSD Board of Directors, I want to congratulate and thank the two bargaining teams for their tremendous
e� ort and success during this most chal-lenging time’” the statement reads. “We are excited about moving forward together with our Kent Education Association part-ners and our entire school community. Our focus is students and their success; they are the reason we are here.”
Teachers were ecstatic to be headed back to work.
“We’re glad we’re back at school,” said Neely O’Brien kindergarten teacher Mari-lyn Tullis as she worked to get her room prepared for students to arrive Tuesday. “We are so glad.”
Tullis said the new class size caps will help, especially in the primary grades like kindergarten. Tullis said her class list for the year has only 20 students at this time, but she expects that to grow by the end of the � rst week of school, as it traditionally does every year.
“Keeping the class size down will mean so much more in their education,” she said.
“As teachers we love our job, that’s why we do it,” said Sara Dacus, a Northwood Middle School health and � tness teacher. “I’m just excited to be back in the class-room, to see my and to get started.
“It’s a good day,” she said.
[ STRIKE from page 1]
Kent Elementary teachers, from left, Jodi Hall, Erin
Isbell and Amy Hurt were all excitement as they returned to their classrooms Monday
morning, following an a� rmative vote earlier that morning by their union, the
Kent Education Association, to ratify a new teaching contract
for the year.LAURA PIERCE, Kent Reporter
Kent Education Association President Lisa Brackin Johnson smiles as she leaves Kentlake High School with KEA spokesman Dale Folkerts, following Monday’s vote to accept the contract. BRIAN BECKLEY , Kent Reporter
Kentlake special education English and math teacher Cindy Sedustine gathers a box from her car Monday to begin preparing her classroom following the vote to approve the new teacher contract. BRIAN BECKLEY, Kent Reporter