IntenseDebate - TheMathProf

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Mother Nature shows of... · 0 replies · +1 points

The way the calendar works, makeup days would likely have been on June 19th and June 22nd anyway. The only time they usually cut into the breaks for snow days is once we have to make up more than two.

I highly doubt they'll go past the 22nd, even despite the strike and even if there's more than one more cancellation. The school district hosts an AP Institute from the 23rd through the 26th, and I don't know what they would do if they were supposed to have school then as well. That being said, I don't know what alternatives they have, either.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Mother Nature shows of... · 2 replies · +1 points

The strike didn't change the end of school date. It was scheduled to end on Thursday, June 18. A snow day today would likely push that to Friday, June 19.

Wednesday is normally an early release day anyway in the Bellevue School District, and I suspect that this is one of the reasons why they didn't even consider cutting the day shorter.

As far as the kids go, the Bellevue kids might have needed a day off more than anybody. They've lost a number of the days off in the middle of the fall that helps the kids be a little more sane as the break approaches and that give them a bit of a breather. Losing mid-winter break isn't going to make things any easier on them. While it's always unfortunate to call off school when it ends up not being needed, it's always easier to make a decision in hindsight.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Heavy snow falls acros... · 0 replies · +1 points

The school year was not scheduled to go late because of the strike and will not be going into July. The last day of school was originally scheduled to be Thursday, June 18, and has remained on that date since the strike finished.

I am surprised that they cancelled as early as they did. I remember in a previous year (was it last year, or maybe the year before?) they were the last school district in the region to close, and some kids were already showing up before they decided to call it quits.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Bellevue teachers stri... · 0 replies · +1 points

No problem. The School Board posted a message at www.bsd405.org that indicated that one extra year would be needed to restore the fund balance, but that further cuts should not be necessary.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Bellevue teachers stri... · 1 reply · +1 points

One of the difficulties lies in the fact that district schools don't only compete against fellow district schools. Rescheduling all of the games for the duration of a strike would mean potentially playing two football games a week, something that really isn't healthy for high schoolers.

And if you talk about punishing kids, the likely other alternative of forcing those kids to forfeit games would really punish them.

I completely see where you're coming from and appreciate the irony of sports teams being in session, but that's my understanding.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Bellevue teachers stri... · 0 replies · +1 points

The subcommittee is really only necessary when teachers want to make major fundamental changes to the common curriculum. In that sense, the new contract is very freeing compared to earlier offers and past practice.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Bellevue teachers stri... · 0 replies · +1 points

According to the official calendar, school will be out on June 18th, just as it was originally scheduled.

In addition to the dates cited above, school will be in session the first two scheduled days of winter break (December 22 and 23).

The last of the makeup days will occur in mid-February during the mid-winter break.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Bellevue teachers stri... · 2 replies · +2 points

If the levies don't pass, there's a lot more to worry about than that 1%. If I recall correctly, five other days of pay are in the tech levies, and the general levy funds almost all of the supplemental pay.

As far as cuts, my understanding is that the district will take longer to rebuild their emergency fund. The Seattle Times editorial on the topic seems to suggest as much. Whether that is instead of making further cuts or in addition to further cuts remains to be seen.

I don't think the seven period day at the secondary level would be cut, but I know that they will likely be more sensitive to running classes at some of the smaller sizes (15-24 or so) if there is a limited interest in the course. That would probably influence some of the AP offerings.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Tentative deal reached... · 0 replies · +1 points

(continued from previous post)

Keep in mind that when a private business has workers go on strike, they're losing out, too, because they don't have the production of their goods and services. That's the corporation's incentive to get back to work in this case, and it's their incentive to make a good offer to employees, even if the employees will lose out on pay if the strike occurs.

On the other hand, the district has very little incentive to make this good offer in your scenario, because in fact, their budget or surpluses would increase in not having to pay certain staff in the event of a strike.

So I think you'd have to find a way to counter this in order to keep the balance between management and labor.

16 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Tentative deal reached... · 0 replies · +1 points

My own opinion:

For the curriculum issue, I would have, because it was so far out of whack.

But for other issues, it would have been really hard to do so if you lost a day's pay for every day out, because every 0.5% of an offer is equal to that day's pay out. It's really hard to make up 0.5% per day on a strike.

On the other hand, I think that would dramatically alter the dynamic of negotiations. A district could make a poor offer with virtual impunity.

(more in a moment)

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