(Image: Seattle Public Schoools)
As Capitol Hill’s reopening continues, staffing shortages seen across the country are also an important issue for organizations and businesses here.
We notice missing workers mostly with things like the daily cancellations of multiple Metro bus runs, usually early in the mornings or late at night. We notice favorite bars and restaurants operating with limited hours. We notice occasional inventory issues at groceries and stores as the distribution chains break without enough drivers and delivery people.
And now, we’re going to notice it in our schools.
Fortunately, a planned shutdown due to staffing shortages will dovetail with the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, Seattle Public Schools told families Tuesday:
Seattle Public Schools will be closed on Friday, November 12. We are aware of an unusually large number of SPS staff taking leave on Friday, and do not believe we have adequate personnel to open schools with the necessary environment for high-quality learning.
Seattle’s schools were already slated to be closed for the Thursday holiday meaning the newly announced shutdown will give students a four-day weekend.
“This is a change from the published schedule, and we recognize the late notice creates challenging circumstances for many families,” SPS said in its announcement.
SPS says the canceled “learning day” will be added to the end of the school year to “ensure all students have access to the full number of educational hours.”
School employees were part of thousands of state, county, and city workers required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18th or risk losing their jobs.
CHS, meanwhile, reported here on the logistics of SPS back to school efforts in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
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Seems pretty standard for the last few years. “Local hero refuses to work”
Oh please. They want a 4 day weekend. Way to screw over working parents.
I don’t blame the teachers. Workers are entitled to request time off. I blame the administration, who is not entitled to grant such requests when there is no coverage. What the hell, SPS?
Come on. Put on the calendar since probably August..Teachers are strutting their power.
Come on. You think it’s easy to reject a teacher’s time off request? You want to be the admin that draws the fire of the teachers union for telling a bunch of teachers they can’t have a personal day?
The administration is partly to blame for not seeing this coming, but the primary blame is for the many, many teachers who wanted a 4-day weekend (just two weeks before another 4-day weekend)
This is just so bogus. And to add insult to injury, the district’s messaging to us parents is full of ridiculous sanctimonious statements as though we should feel sorry for the poor educators and be really happy about the “four-day weekend” — never mind that many of us working stiffs don’t have a four day weekend. Veterans Day itself isn’t even a holiday at my job.
This is the problem: our country has gotten to the point where school is seen as a day care first, with education a distant second. We pay the teacher as such and then act all surprised and angry when the teachers push back.
Our country needs an public education overhaul as big as Finland’s from the 70s if we are to have any hope of surviving.
I do not see school as day care or babysitting. I want my child educated. My child isn’t being educated if there isn’t school. My point in commenting re the fact that I don’t myself have these days off is to note the lunacy of the school’s email to us suggesting that we all “rest and recharge” on these no school days.
There’s another problem with our country: the lack of basic employee rights and benefits where an unplanned school closure with a small advanced notice is detrimental to working parents.
I think your anger is misguided. Instead of complaining about and to the schools, who have exactly zero recourse in all of this, turn your anger to DC. Tell Congress that we need basic education reform and funding and strong employee rights, rather than tax cuts on the wealthy and trillions spent on the military.
Of course, Congress is perfectly happy with you continuing to direct your anger at schools rather than them.
If you want your teachers there to babysit your kids, which isn’t their job btw… then treat them better. Teachers have been taken through the ringer for the past few years and they are beginning to leave the profession in droves because they are treated as “less than” by students, PARENTS, and admin alike. Get over yourselves and give the teachers a break.