Throughout this election season, I have attempted to remain neutral on iLoveKent.net. As a journalist who holds herself closely to the SPJ Code of Ethics, I felt it was important to present both sides fairly which I have done. I have also refrained from stating my personal opinion regarding who I am supporting in the Kent mayoral election. Those who know me well know that I made my vote without reservation.

Before I continue, let me disclose my relationships with both Mayor Suzette Cooke and mayoral candidate and KSD school board president Jim Berrios. I used to be a contractor for the city. I am no longer working with the city on projects, but I frequently interview city officials and employees for articles for publication. I have also interviewed Jim Berrios  for several stories I’ve written for publication, one local publication and a trade publication for the newspaper advertising industry.

Without divulging my personal choice for mayor, I ask you to consider the following when casting your vote (if you have not already done so):

• Each candidate’s record of service to the community:   Mayor Suzette Cooke as our mayor for the last four years with numerous community and governmental achievements, and Jim Berrios as a community volunteer, business owner and president of the KSD school board.

• Each candidate’s behavior during the campaign. Did your preferred candidate conduct him or herself honorably, focusing on the issues (e.g., budget, flooding, economy) rather than minutia?

• When faced with difficult decisions like how to handle flooding, manage transportation issues, boost our economy and settle the school district strike, did your candidate act in the community’s best interests?

• Does your candidate of choice have a plan for the next four years? If so, do you understand and agree with it?

• Is his or her campaign platform clear and does it benefit the community at large, or primarily special interest groups?

• Do you have any reservations whatsoever about your candidate’s loyalty?

As you consider these items, I ask you to also consider the media coverage and debates that have taken place. There has been a fair amount of mudslinging and the race has gotten ugly in some instances. From where I sit, that mud is coming from one side more than the other, however. That tells me a lot about the integrity of the candidates and how I can expect them to represent me and the City of Kent into the future.

I invite anyone to comment on the mayoral candidates and how they have (or have made) their choice for mayor of Kent.

Thanks for listening,

UPDATE–Sept. 12, 12:18 PM–KSD submits a counter-proposal addressing class sizes for all grade levels, administrative meetings and compensation. Read the latest proposal here.  No new updates have been posted to the KEA website or blog or to KentSchools.org. No word yet when KEA and the teachers will vote on the latest proposal.

UPDATE–Sept. 11, 7:00 PM–KSD website says the first day of school is Tuesday, September 15. KEA website doesn’t mention, but rather attacks KSD’s latest tactics and position.

UPDATE–Sept. 10, 9:58 PM–In today’s news:

Seattle Times’ op-ed on strike

Judge orders fines for striking teachers and union

Teachers to rally at KSD HQ on Friday

Parents & teachers rally

KEA Update

KSD Update

Kent Schools.org Update

UPDATE–Sept. 8, 4:44 PM–This afternoon a pre-recorded message was left for families in the Kent School District to advise parents and students that school will not start tomorrow as planned. In fact, school is delayed until further notice and the school calendar will have to be reworked once school resumes. KSD and KEA continue negotiations. For updates directly from the parties involved, visit their respective websites:  Kent School District and   Kent Education Association

For my personal thoughts on the strike, visit iLoveKent.net’s Op-Ed page.

UPDATE–Sept. 8, 6:56 AM–The latest blog post from KEA explains the teachers’ rationale behind their decision to continue the strike. According to the blog post, while KSD is willing to negotiate regarding excessive administrative meetings, the two parties remain “far apart” on the issue of classroom size.

UPDATE–Sept. 7, 9:52 PM–Teachers vote to defy Court Order. See KOMO News for more info.

UPDATE–Sept. 7, 8:47 PM–Rumor has it that teachers will remain on strike, against court order. No school on Wed.??? Nothing posted yet on the KSD or KEA websites. More info. coming soon.

UPDATE–Sept. 7, 8:37 PM–Teachers and the KEA are meeting tonight at GRCC to decide if they are going to follow the court order to return to school tomorrow as a prep day with the first day of classes on Wednesday. Still waiting for an update to be posted on KEA or KSD sites.

8:48 pm — A rally to support Kent teachers has been scheduled for September 4 from 11 am – 1 pm at KSD Administration Center. More details on Facebook.

8:00 pm — King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas ruled today that the Kent School District Teachers’ Strike is illegal. As a result, teachers are being ordered to return to work on Tuesday, September 8 as a preparation day. School is scheduled to officially start the following day, Wednesday, September 9.

Following the announcement, KEA scheduled a meeting at Green River Community College at 2:30 p.m. today to explain the injunction and its ramifications to the union members. There is speculation, however, that the teachers may not follow the court order. Stay tuned for more updates on the strike, negotiations and the much-anticipated return to school.

More info. available at:

KSD

KEA

For frequent visitors to iLoveKent.net, I apologize for not having more coverage here about the KSD teachers’ strike.  I am at a journalism conference and learned of the news via text message fr0m my teenage daughter. Since then, I’ve been trying to learn ab0ut this issues and, honestly, I don’t think the media is giving the strike – or the items at stake – much play. I’ve been hard pressed to see any unbiased online forum or site which discusses the issues candidly and fairly.

As we all know there are at least two sides to every story and, in this case, there are likely to be as many perspectives as there are items 0n the negotiation table. Parents, students, teachers, the city of Kent, and KSD will all view things differently. The bottom line, however, is that we all want the same things….teachers to feel valued and to be compensated fairly and for students to get back t0 class. There are, of course,  many other issues to consider (class size, prep time, days off, budget c0nstraints), but the goal remains the same.

If you have an update 0r an 0pinion on the subject, post your comments or news here. Let’s start a dialogue to see how we as a c0mmunity can work together to make the m0st of this situation.

In the meantime, here are some links to other places you can go for info. (NOTE:  a number 0f the Google video links I clicked on after a search if the Kent School District strike were bogus, so d0n’t click on any links from sources you don’t know or trust.)

Kent School District

KSD Budget and Negotiation Info

Kent Education Assoc. Blog

Kent Education Assoc

Associated Content