Lawmakers are lashing out at teachers after their strikes. The children will lose the most.
Last week, West Virginia lawmakers approved an education bill that, if signed into law, would weaken the future negotiating ability of educators, drastically changing the public school system in one of the nation’s most disadvantaged states.
Just 11 months ago, West Virginia public schoolteachers took to the streets demanding a pay raise and more funding for health insurance. They are some of the lowest paid teachers in the country, and legislation proposed at the time would have only worsened the disparity.
Teachers across all 55 counties united in protest for nine days and ultimately compelled Gov. James C. Justice to sign a bill that temporarily delivered on their demands, giving public employees a 5 percent raise and appointing a task force to investigate a fixed solution for insurance funding. Current funding for insurance has to be passed each year in the state budget, and costs for school employees have increased.
Their efforts in 2018 resulted in seemingly positive change and a more sustainable wage, one that would prevent teachers from having to choose between their commitment to the students of West Virginia and their ability to make ends meet at home.
And their protests empowered teachers across the country to make similar demands. In the 11 months since their strike, teachers in Oklahoma and Arizona have protested, and so have teachers in California, who walked out last month. Denver teachers are expected to strike on Monday.
That’s partly why the education overhaul bill that was passed in the State Senate last week serves as a grim reminder that the fight for a better educational system is not over.
