JCJRSmith
US Navy Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2003
- Messages
- 2,213
Last night, the teacher's union from my kid's school district decided to walk out on strike starting Thursday.
Originally, the school year was due to end on Friday, June 6. Due to snow days, the year has been extended until Tuesday, June 10. We are set to hit the road on Saturday June 14, headed for the Fort. There is a law in place here in PA that gives state reps the authority to limit how long the teachers can strike. Word is that right now it looks like the walkout will be limited to 3 days, extending the school year to Friday, June 13. However, I just read that it may be possible for the strike to go four or five days, extending the school year into the first couple of days of our Disney vacation. I told my wife this morning that our kids will not be in school after June 13 this year.
Additionally, my son goes to the local VoTech, which hosts kids from about a dozen school districts in two counties - it is independent of the school district we live in and not affected by the strike. The VoTech will still be open and conducting classes during the strike. Currently, he takes the bus to the High School, attends classes until lunch time then catches a bus to the VoTech for his math and computer science classes. Then he catches the bus back to the High School and then rides the bus home from there. Now, I don't want him missing any of the VoTech classes while the strike is going on, but if he did, he would have no problem. He gets A's in both subjects with almost no effort and could make up work easily. If he stays home during the strike, he can watch over my 10 year old daughter during the day. But, if he has to attend the VoTech classes, my wife or I (who both work full time) would have to leave the office at noon to get him to VoTech and get my daughter to a sitter, then one of us would have to leave work early to pick him up from school later that afternoon.
On top of all that, this completely messes up the graduation schedule for the seniors, the sports schedules for the athletes, the club schedules for the extra curricular activities, etc. Now, I understand the teacher's position on this but the sticking point in negotiations is this: The school board offered an average 4.5% per year over the next four years and the teachers want 4.9%. Yes, you read that right and if you did the math, the difference is 0.4%. ZERO POINT FOUR PERCENT. One would think they could just split the difference and carry on but neither side appears willing to budge.
Regardless of whether one backs the union or the school board, its the KIDS and their families who are getting hosed here.
Thanks for listening and wish us well please. God I wish I was at Fort Wilderness RIGHT NOW!!!!
Originally, the school year was due to end on Friday, June 6. Due to snow days, the year has been extended until Tuesday, June 10. We are set to hit the road on Saturday June 14, headed for the Fort. There is a law in place here in PA that gives state reps the authority to limit how long the teachers can strike. Word is that right now it looks like the walkout will be limited to 3 days, extending the school year to Friday, June 13. However, I just read that it may be possible for the strike to go four or five days, extending the school year into the first couple of days of our Disney vacation. I told my wife this morning that our kids will not be in school after June 13 this year.
Additionally, my son goes to the local VoTech, which hosts kids from about a dozen school districts in two counties - it is independent of the school district we live in and not affected by the strike. The VoTech will still be open and conducting classes during the strike. Currently, he takes the bus to the High School, attends classes until lunch time then catches a bus to the VoTech for his math and computer science classes. Then he catches the bus back to the High School and then rides the bus home from there. Now, I don't want him missing any of the VoTech classes while the strike is going on, but if he did, he would have no problem. He gets A's in both subjects with almost no effort and could make up work easily. If he stays home during the strike, he can watch over my 10 year old daughter during the day. But, if he has to attend the VoTech classes, my wife or I (who both work full time) would have to leave the office at noon to get him to VoTech and get my daughter to a sitter, then one of us would have to leave work early to pick him up from school later that afternoon.
On top of all that, this completely messes up the graduation schedule for the seniors, the sports schedules for the athletes, the club schedules for the extra curricular activities, etc. Now, I understand the teacher's position on this but the sticking point in negotiations is this: The school board offered an average 4.5% per year over the next four years and the teachers want 4.9%. Yes, you read that right and if you did the math, the difference is 0.4%. ZERO POINT FOUR PERCENT. One would think they could just split the difference and carry on but neither side appears willing to budge.
Regardless of whether one backs the union or the school board, its the KIDS and their families who are getting hosed here.
Thanks for listening and wish us well please. God I wish I was at Fort Wilderness RIGHT NOW!!!!
) & in Grovetucky, Ohio (Groveport, for anyone who is not from the Columbus area). Any who, school progressed as normal (the only time I completely understood chem class that entire year, sub was a much better teacher!!
) & the strike ended about 3-4 wks later. No make up days for that. 
