Garfield To Close On Sickout Day -- Olschefske Reacts To Teachers' Protest Plan

Despite a personal appeal from their boss and criticism from their union, teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle are sticking to their plan to call in sick next Tuesday to protest low teacher salaries.

In response, schools Superintendent Joseph Olchefske ordered Garfield closed on Tuesday. The day will be treated as a snow day, and under state law, students and teachers will make up the day during the summer.

After an hourlong meeting yesterday that Olchefske characterized as "blunt" and "frank," many of the school's 71 teachers said they plan to use the day to protest their status as among the lowest-paid teachers in the Puget Sound area.

Seattle ranked 19th out of 27 area school districts in experienced-teacher salary based on figures provided by districts to The Seattle Times Guide to Schools, published last November.

"We're sick all right - sick of our pay," said Lenda DiCola, a single mother who earns a combined $24,000 from her jobs as a Garfield counselor and driver's education teacher.

Garfield's planned sickout was just the first in what could turn into a series of local protests. Teachers in districts including Lake Washington and Marysville have announced plans for votes on walkouts, and others are in the works, many set for late April, when the new state tests are to be administered.

Teachers have increasingly expressed frustration with the Legislature, which has yet to settle on a proposal for raises. Plans for teacher salaries are in major flux in Olympia; proposals range from a 4 percent increase over two years from Gov. Gary Locke, to a Senate Republican plan that would amount to a 16 percent raise for new teachers.

The latest plan emerged yesterday from Senate Democrats, who are offering a 6 percent raise over two years. That proposal calls for bonuses for beginning teachers that could bring annual starting salaries up to $26,000. Health-care benefits would be covered, and teachers would be paid for four extra days.

Olchefske told teachers that while he shares their frustration over school funding, a walkout would only hurt students and parents.

Olchefske said he and the School Board planned to travel to Olympia today for a prearranged meeting with Seattle legislators. Teacher salaries would be at the top of the agenda, he said.

But most teachers were unmoved.

"Unfortunately, (on Tuesday) we'll all be sick," said Gaynelle Derr, who teaches language arts. "I've been told that a number of our students are also feeling sick, and we hope their parents will also support us by being sick."

Union leaders, who have typically been outspoken on teacher-salary issues, criticized the Garfield teachers' strategy. The union doesn't want individual schools to "rush out and do something that isn't part of our overall plan," said Roger Erskine, executive director of the Seattle Education Association (SEA).

"I think the Garfield thing is unfortunate," he said. "I hope the staff out there reconsiders, so it's not one school or one school district like Lake Washington," where the union itself is well along in planning a walkout.

Locke yesterday urged teachers not to rush to action, saying there's still time for a solution.

"Sickouts are not productive and will only hurt the kids at a time when it is crucial we keep education reform and more accountability on track," said Locke spokesman Keith Love.

Teachers are, in fact, continuing to work with the Legislature. Tonight, for example, a delegation of more than 150 South King County teachers, parents and school officials was to take a bus trip to Olympia to discuss salary proposals with senators and representatives from the 11th, 33rd and 34th legislative districts.

In a related action, the state teachers union said it will file a November ballot measure as soon as tomorrow asking voters to approve automatic cost-of-living raises for all K-12 employees.

Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association (WEA), said that after the measure is filed, the union will use the 39-day review period to assess support among its members and the community, and to come up with a plan to gather the roughly 200,000 signatures needed by July 2.

Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach, said teachers would risk sending the wrong message to lawmakers if voters reject the automatic cost-of-living increase.

Sen. James West, R-Spokane, said other public employees might resent a separate cost-of-living guarantee for teachers.

"This mounting aggressiveness is not a smart strategy," said West, ranking Republican on the Senate budget-writing committee. "Banging on the door may not help these people because you create resistance, even among your friends."

Information from The Associated Press and Seattle Times staff reporters Linda Shaw, Dionne Searcey, Dick Lilly and Lisa Pemberton-Butler is included in this report.

--------------- Walkout Hotline ---------------

The Seattle School District has established a "Walkout Hotline" that will be updated with the most current information on the planned teacher sickout. The hotline number is 298-7207.