Nearly 80,000 students in Washington state were unable to attend the first day of school this week as thousands of teachers went on strike seeking higher salaries, teacher’s unions said.
Teachers seeking enhanced education funding also have walked out in recent months in West Virginia, Arizona and Oklahoma.
More Washington educators would walk out next week. Teachers in Seattle - the state’s most-populated city - on Tuesday gave their union authority to call for a strike unless a contract deal is reached before classes resume there on Sept. 5, according to the Seattle Education Association.
Seattle Public Schools officials said the district backs educators and believes it has provided them with fair and competitive salaries, but it said on Wednesday that it must also manage its budget to provide services for students.
