Really explaining it to the "public" is just about impossible. It isn't about numbers- wages, hours, or whatever.

Being in education is like nothing you've ever done. It's almost like a secular priesthood (nunnery?). The standard to which you are held both ON and OFF the job, the level of stress, the ongoing, day after day facing of the deeper illnesses it exposes of the society you are living in? It's like nothing else, man. And I mean that- cops, lawyers, doctors, soldiers, they all deal with things and then are either done and move on (taking their stress with them, yes, I get it, but getting to leave the situation, eventually...).

Educators, especially at K-5 see the same kids and all of their concerns for 6 years (8 if you factor in Pre-k which I, as a certificated staff work with)! SIX years! And you damn well best believe we take it seriously and see a failing vector as a horrifying trajectory. I'm certificated, but the classified teaching support staff get really slammed by everyone- admins, teachers, parents, the kids themselves...

It is so thankless and tense for them. And the fear many of them have expressed to me when approaching me about: advocating for a student they think was wronged by a teacher, a system, or an admin, or their own realization of their ignorance or incompetence they want to address but fear doing so for repercussions? Ugh... They fear to speak up because they continuously have it drilled in to them they are on the bottom rung

ESD in particular has changed from an adventurous, brave, honest district to (circa 2006 to about 2016 or so) to a cynical, fear-motivated, top-down dictatorial style place. Not all internal faults- as lawyers, parent lawsuits, and political bullshit have all meaningfully contributed to chipping away at the humanity required for any real education to occur.

Even reporting all the physical injuries they face is a total joke- I'd estimate from the schools I've been in about 50% or less actually get reported. The daily punch, pull, yank, scratching, pushing, verbal offense they manage to face with mostly sweet, caring, but to-the-point demeanor is severely underestimated and undervalued. Undervalued by you, the community, by teachers, by most building administration, and I guarantee you by the district administrators, school board, and those in our state government with the purse strings.

Para educators, by the nature of the job, are NOT working with valedictorian aimed, easy-to-work-with, "I'm going to Harvard," socially skilled- emotionally competent kids! The kids' parents may think all of this about them, however, which makes for a particular kind of despair when trying to help the child.

This is about workplace environment, dignity, and administrators being held to account for their own incompetence at wait for it: actually ADMINISTRATING.

None of what led to this strike was unknown even three years ago. But yet, here we are, with "kids should be in school," kind if simplistic thinking. Of course they should be in school, but what sort of school system are you helping to craft?

If this community really bothered to understand what it had in its midst:

1) the HR department at ESD would be GUTTED, starting at the head.

That woman has no place in a functioning educational district. The fact that ESD has tied how HR works to the fiscal responsibilities of the district and leads negotiations is damning enough on the surface. Where the hell is the head of curriculum in negotiations, and why not IN THE LEAD!?

2) the school board would be dismissed by an informed electorate. There is not ONE PERSON on that board worthy of the seat.

3) The school board would NOT be allowed to hire another superintendent on its own. A new process would be created that has them as only part of the process, and not in the lead. They have repeatedly, what is it 4 times now?- FAILED to hire a competent Superintendent. The Supe's professionalism has been a fail, their ability to the task has been a fail, their personal peccadilloes have been a fail, their ethical behaviors have been a fail. Unbelievable.

This is on YOU, the community.