Nearly 200 Battle Ground educators, spouses, students and parents gathered for a rally before marching into the June 25 school board meeting at the Lewisville Campus.
Teachers in Battle Ground Public Schools are pleading with the district for dollars the state provided for funding educators.
On March 27, Governor Jay Inslee signed a new bill passed by the Washington State Legislature to increase certificated teachers’ average salary to $64,000. For long-time educators like Battle Ground Education Association (BGEA) President Linda Peterson, this was a victory after 14 years of lobbying with the state.
“This is what teachers have done,” Peterson said. “Union dues have paid for everything the legislature has done for schools and for students.”
When it was time to start talking about new contracts, Peterson and her associates came to the table ready to negotiate with great enthusiasm but the Battle Ground school district has not been as forthcoming. Although teachers were hoping for at least a 23 percent increase in their salary, the best offer by the district has been 1.9 percent. And in some cases, it’s even lower.
“I have 16 years experience. With the district’s new salary that they created, my new increase would be 1.1 percent,” Peterson said. “That is a slap in the face.”
The teachers are not backing down. More than 300 educators, spouses, parents and students held a picnic outside the CASEE Building while negotiations were taking place. Another 200 teachers attended the school board meeting June 25.
“We hear it in conversations and we see it on social media — teachers are overworked and underpaid,” said Marina Heinz, a fourth-grade teacher at Pleasant Valley Primary School. She also taught in Amboy for 11 years and serves as the BGEA vice president.
“To have the support means that the community recognizes it too and are willing to stand with the teachers to make sure we get the money the state sent towards our salaries,” Heinz added. “This is an opportunity for teachers to get the raise they deserve and to feel respected for the work they do as professionals.”
The opportunity for teachers to share their thoughts with the school board members during the June 25 meeting didn’t go as smoothly. Only three people were allowed to speak during the open forum, and they had to limit their speeches to the standard three minutes.
“I get that you can’t have 200 people speaking on the same topic, but three felt a little restrictive,” said Robin Crocker, a high school history teacher at River Homelink.
The teachers became frustrated when the board members asked them not to clap and cheer after the speeches.
“Not all of those teachers are going to get up and speak,” Peterson said. “Their clapping is simply a show of support for whoever is speaking. I see nothing wrong with that.”
School board members say the negotiations are a closed process. Superintendent Mark Ross did provide a statement through email.
“Battle Ground is engaged in collective bargaining with the Battle Ground Education Association over the contracts of our more than 800 certificated teachers and staff. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement that provides a fair package to all parties and is within the district’s ability to pay,” Ross wrote. “As the state takes on its responsibility to cover the costs of basic education, we mean to comply with the legislature’s intent. But in Battle Ground, we must also consider that due to the McCleary decision our local levy will be substantially reduced in the next two years, and that we have relied heavily on that levy to support unfunded staff and provide additional pay to teachers in the form of time, responsibility and incentive for work outside classroom hours. The district has a responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars wisely with a long-term view toward sustainability and students’ success.”
In the meantime, teachers continue to put in the hours after the final school bell rings.
“If I’m in it for the students’ benefit, then it’s necessary to work into the evenings and weekends. That’s the gig. I don’t think any teacher would ever think it’s going to be different,” Crocker said. “To have a compensation structure that honors and affirms that routine, daily, year-in and year-out above and beyond effort would be motivating. It would help us feel like we are actually on par with other professionals that are doing similar work. That hasn’t been the case yet.”
Battle Ground teachers plan to be at the next school board meeting Monday, July 9. They will also continue to rally around community events, such as Territorial Days in Amboy and Harvest Days in Battle Ground. Peterson said they don’t want to strike, but they have worked too hard to let these state funds slip away.
“We have chosen a bottom line that we will not go below,” Peterson said. “If our surrounding districts get the compensation to keep their teachers, our teachers are going to leave. If push comes to shove and we have to go out to the community, parents will come to the defense of the teachers.
“There has been a lot of distrust in the district,” she added. “Should they honor the educators in the way they should be, I think it would be a great rebuilding trust move on their part. And I hope they see it that way.”
