SEATTLE — Seattle educators are on strike Wednesday after negotiating late into the night Tuesday, with classes canceled in the state’s largest school district on what would have been the first school day of the year.
Teachers, paraprofessionals and certificated teaching staff “will strike beginning Wednesday morning for a contract that meets student needs,” according to a statement sent by the Washington Education Association just after midnight. Picket lines will run from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until educators ratify a contract agreement, WEA said.
Teachers have been negotiating with the district for months, with leadership mainly focused on pay increases and support for special education and multilingual students. Seattle joins Kent as the only other major school district in Washington on strike at the start of this school year.
