Paraeducators in Port Angeles, Washington, are on strike. In this year’s wave of teacher strikes, it’s the first one led by paraeducators.
Teachers have refused to cross their picket lines, shutting down the district’s schools Thursday and Friday.
The 115 paradeucators in this small coastal city, just across the water from Canada, assist with everything from reading lessons to recess. Paraeducators play an essential role in today’s schools, offering extra attention and care to students who need it—especially those with disabilities.
Besides solidarity, another reason teachers were reluctant to cross the paras’ picket lines was “a lot of safety concerns,” said Eric Pickens, president of the Port Angeles Education Association. “They’re trained to help out our most fragile students, students with special needs.”
The strikers are pushing the school district to grant wage increases they say they’re owed from state money.
Paraeducators in the district currently make between $15.68 and $19.55 an hour, depending on seniority. Most work six hours or less a day. Many work second jobs—in homecare, retail, hairdressing, or at the local library.
Some are single mothers, and take home so little that their kids qualify for free and reduced lunches at the school, said Terri Rothweiler, a 24-year paraeducator and vice president of the Port Angeles Paraeducator Association. Both unions are affiliates of the Washington Education Association.
“We told our members last week: We either need to roll over and accept how they want to treat us, or stand up for ourselves,” Rothweiler said.
Union members had voted 87 to 4 to authorize a strike if no contract agreement was reached by Wednesday evening.
School officials initially planned to open schools during the strike—but changed their minds when the teachers union said it wouldn’t cross the picket…