pa-school

PORT ANGELES – Paraeducators from the Port Angeles School District decided in a meeting Monday night they will go on strike Thursday, November 15 if the School Board does not return to the bargaining table with a better offer than the 3.5% increase currently being offered.

Paraeducators assist school teachers in the classroom, and much of their work is with special-education students. They have their own union and have been working for the last two years without a settled contract. Here’s para educator Rebecca Gransbury:

 

In August, Port Angeles teachers agreed with the district adding more than $1.5 million dollars in additional money for raises negotiated after the state Supreme Court’s McCleary Decision.

Gransbury says they want more respect from the district.

Meantime, the district is asking for a mediator to get involved with the talks.

In a prepared release, the district says  of the $1 million the District received from the McCleary funding for staff such as secretaries, custodians and paraeducators, only 6.5 para educator positions are funded by the state. The district claims the other 110 para educators work in Title, Learning Assistance Program (LAP) and Special Education; these programs receive categorical funds intended for student support not intended for McCleary money.

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