Students Take Up Strike Debate -- Disappointment, And Frustration Running High

Laurie Miramontez says anyone can see schools need more money by just looking at her English class at Federal Way High School.

Two kids have to sit on the floor and another uses a teacher's desk because there's not enough furniture, said Miramontez, 16.

Nevertheless, she opposes the planned teachers strike "because they're putting our education on hold. They say it's to benefit us, but I think it's to benefit themselves."

Senior Dan Irvine, 18, disagrees. "Educators are for the students, and I think they're doing it for the students' benefit," said Irvine, who has aunts and uncles who are teachers in Oregon and Seattle.

In cafeterias and hallways around the state, the people perhaps most affected by the strike debated their teachers' vote to walk out beginning Thursday.

The talk ranged from threatened graduation ceremonies to baseball, from a longer school year to well-deserved days off.

At Federal Way High School, some students said they'll need the extra days off after teachers try to squeeze in examinations this week.

"They want to make sure they got it all in before the strike," said Justi Baumgardt, 15, a sophomore who will have five tests in three days this week. "It's not fair at all." "I don't think it's right," said another student at a crowded lunchroom table.

"Yea, but I don't think it's fair for the teachers right now either," said sophomore Jill Weller, 16. "They're not getting what they deserve."

Irvine, a sprinter on the track team, said classmates at Federal Way are mostly concerned about canceled sports events and having to attend school in the summer.

That's a sacrifice worth taking, according to senior Donny Marshall, 18, who led Federal Way's basketball team to a seventh-place state finish.

Marshall, who will be heading to the University of Connecticut on a full basketball scholarship this fall, said one of his goals is to bring Federal Way the state soccer title before he leaves. "It doesn't seem that important until your senior year. This is my last year. We've got to do it."

But the Federal Way School District said all sports will be halted during the strike.

Because teachers in other districts, such as Auburn, chose not to strike, Federal Way may have to forfeit games against teams that can still play and practice.

All this may mean goodbye state championship, but that is something Marshall said he can live with because he sympathizes with the teachers' demand for more school dollars.

"I have a couple of classes where you can see the money is needed. Like in my typing class. There's not enough typewriters so some kids have to use computers and old typewriters, . . ." Marshall said.

Although graduating seniors wouldn't benefit from a successful strike, future students would, he added. "I think it's important for them. I don't think all the seniors feel like that. But I do."

In other high schools around the region, students - particularly seniors - may have sympathized with teachers, but were frustrated by the timing and puzzled by the politics.

At Seattle's Rainier Beach High School in a civic leadership class taught by Ron Jensen and Kathi Lehr, the impending strike provided a lesson about inflation, the legislative process, revenue, and labor relations.

"Funding public education is not easy to figure out," Jensen told the class.

Similarly, several questions raised by students had no easy answers: What is a reasonable class size? What's going to happen to the seniors if they don't have 180 days of school? Does anybody care what the students think?

Half of the 32 students opposed a teacher walkout, nine favored it and seven had mixed feelings.

"When kids are out of school, they'll just be walking down the streets doing nothing," said senior Alvin Tong. "Crime will go up."

But classmate Mika Leatherman disagreed. "It's the only way teachers will be heard," she said.

The students had several suggestions for union leaders and the Legislature.

Compromise, work through a mediator, or use arbitration, said junior Toni Redmond.

Impose a 25-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and use that money for education, suggested Jamie Gardner. The measure would also promote energy conservation, he said.

Senior Tung Do, 17, is in the Teaching Academy at Rainier Beach, a program for students who are thinking of becoming teachers. Do wants to join that profession after working six or so years as an aeronautical engineer.

When Do came to America from Vietnam 11 years ago, he didn't speak a word of English. This year, he's co-editor of the high school newspaper.

"I have a lot of respect for teachers," he said. "They brought me this far. Maybe I was lucky to have all the teachers that care." But the senior is ambivalent about whether teachers should strike for better wages and working conditions.

At Edmonds-Woodway High School, Chris Marx, 18, who is considering a teaching career said the current situation is, well, educational. "It's an ongoing battle. I don't think it will ever end."

Some teachers have been willing to pass on information, she said. "They say, `You guys are probably wondering what's going on, so I'll just tell you right now,' " she said. "They take questions. They explain that they're trying to do something for the future, and I think most people understand that."

With the strike looming, instructors also are scrambling to cram in last-minute course work.

"A lot of my teachers are giving tests on Wednesday," said senior Gina Spiotto, 18. "Everything is due Wednesday."

In the Edmonds-Woodway library, senior Sonja Groset, 17, closed her eyes and catnapped between mythology chapters. But the strike was on her mind.

Like many of her classmates, Groset is hopeful a strike will last only a few days. "Thursday and Friday would be great," she said. "I can catch up on some sleep."

Any longer than that, though, and Groset will start worrying about her summer plans. Classes are scheduled to end in June.

"I'm leaving June 11 for a graduation trip," she said. "And I know probably a dozen people who are doing the same thing. Nobody's going to forfeit a $400 plane ticket. I know I'm not."

At Interlake High School in Bellevue, the overall mood was light, but disappointment and frustration were common reactions among students.

"Keep us in school, boss!" junior Scott Terhaar pleaded with Mike Bacigalupi, assistant principal at Interlake. "We want to be here Thursday."

"I really support them and do believe in their cause, but I think it's bad timing," said senior Afsaneh Mozaffarian. "We are graduating. We have plans."

Senior Sam Shen said a strike this late in their senior year would be disruptive. But politics is all in the timing, and what's bad timing for the students is good timing for the teachers. The more their lives are disrupted, the greater the chance the Legislature will respond to the crisis, Shen said.

"A lot of seniors are being put in an uneasy situation," Shen said. "We are sympathetic to the teachers. We know what they are going through. But all we can think about is how it will affect graduation. I support the strike. I hope it happens. I hope it's short, and the Legislature deals with it."

Shen said he doesn't want his graduation plans disrupted. But if it wasn't his graduation, it would be someone else's, next year's seniors or the ones after that. If parents knew the state of education, they would be shouting louder than the teachers, Shen said.

"I think it should be more of a parents' strike," Shen said. "Everything that has to be gained is for the parents. It's their kids education.

-- Times education reporters Paula Bock, Mary Elizabeth Cronin and Marc Ramirez contributed to this report. ------------------------------

DISTRICTS FOR STRIKE

The following is a list of school districts in King and Pierce counties in which members of Washington Education Association affiliates have voted to strike Thursday:

King: Bellevue, Federal Way, Highline, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Northshore, Renton, Seattle, Shoreline and Snoqualmie Valley.

Pierce: Fife, Franklin Pierce, Peninsula, Puyallup, Sumner and Tacoma.

Tukwila's South Central school district has agreed to strike only one day, this Friday.

The Auburn Education Association was expected to poll its members today to see if they want to revote. Auburn also voted against a strike by a narrow margin earlier this year.

Maple Valley teachers in the Tahoma School District, who also chose not to support a walkout, will revote Thursday.

Teachers at Highline Community College plan to strike all next week. They originally planned to begin a walkout Friday.

Most school districts have said they will not hold classes in the event of a strike.