WEA recently polled 601 Washington voters about educator pay, school funding and support for public education. This is what we found:

• Voters support pay raises of at least 15 percent for teachers and education support professionals.
• Voters support the educator strikes in other states, and they support their local teachers going on strike to win professional compensation.
• Voters do not believe the excuses administrators are offering (levies are decreasing, there’s a cap on pay raises, etc.)
• Voters trust their local teachers on education issues significantly more than they trust superintendents.

We’ve always known Washington voters support their public schools and the educators who work in them. We also know voters understand we need to pay competitive, professional salaries to attract and keep the caring, committed teachers and support staff our students deserve

This polling confirms that strong community support.

Fortunately, WEA locals across the state have successfully negotiated double-digit percentage pay raises already – and more are coming. Here’s the latest map showing the highest pay raises negotiated so far.

Because of the McCleary Supreme Court case, voters know school districts have the money. Voters also aren’t accepting the excuses administrators in some districts are making.

“We cannot settle for less than our members are worth, and we cannot buy into the excuses put forth by administrators, school boards and their hired negotiators,” said Kim Mead, WEA president. “Let them try to explain to their parents and voters why they want to shortchange their educators and students.

“We will win that debate every time.”

Washington’s Paramount Duty, a parent group, posted this statement of support today:
“WPD believes that districts have enough money to give educators a substantial raise, and we are happy to see that educators in districts across the state have indeed won those well-deserved raises.

“It's possible that some educators may have to go on strike this fall as part of the bargaining process. WPD was founded by a group of parents during strikes in 2015, as we recognized the underlying problem was the state’s ongoing refusal to fully and amply fund our public schools.

“Then, as now, we stand with educators everywhere as they work to get the salaries to attract and retain teachers – which even the Supreme Court recognized is an essential part of a fully funded education by the state.”