We stand with Seattle teachers

WE, THE undersigned, stand in solidarity with 5,000 striking members of Seattle Education Association (SEA). These brave educators are taking this action in the face of growing privatization, increased standardized testing, and persistent inequality in public schooling. The educators' demands would improve public schooling for everyone. They are demanding competitive pay, fair evaluations, less standardized testing, and an end to systematic racial discrimination in student disciplinary actions. The union also represents school counselors and psychologists, and demands that their caseloads be capped, so that they can give students the individual attention they deserve. SEA is bargaining for quality education for their students, but in more than 20 meetings with the district prior to the strike vote, all of these demands were rejected.

The members of SEA are fighting for the schools Seattle's children deserve. In doing so, they are standing up for the kind of schooling all of our children deserve. We, the undersigned, urge the Seattle Public Schools administration to grant the union's demands immediately.

Partial list of signers (affiliations listed for identification purposes only)

Julia Aguirre, University of Washington, Tacoma
Sam Anderson, Coalition for Public Education, New York City
John C. Antush, Movement of Rank and File Educators / United Federation of Teachers
Michael Apple, University of Wisconsin
Chloe Asselin, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Wayne Au, University of Washington, Bothell; Rethinking Schools
Megan Bang, University of Washington, Seattle
Johanna Barnhart, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Tithi Bhattacharya, Purdue University
Dan Berger, University of Washington, Bothell
Dana Blanchard, Berkeley Federation of Teachers
Stephen Brier, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Anthony Cappetta, Chicago Teachers Union
S. Charusheela, University of Washington, Bothell
Anthony Cody, Network for Public Education
Dafney Blanca Dabach, University of Washington, Seattle
Karam Dana, University of Washington, Bothell
Thomas S. Davis, Ohio State University
Beth Dimino, Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association
Michael J. Dumas, University of California, Berkeley
Michelle Fine, Graduate Center, The City University of New York; Montclair Cares About Schools
John Gallagher, Fremont Unified Teachers Association
Lily Eskelsen Garcia, National Education Association
Ofelia Garcia, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Kiersten Greene, State University of New York New Paltz
Rico Gutstein, University of Illinois at Chicago; Teachers for Social Justice
Helen Gym, Parents United for Public Education
Julian Vasquez Heilig, California State University, Sacramento
Sarah Hesson, Rhode Island College
Barbara Hubert, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Carly Huelsenbeck, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Arlene Inouye, United Teachers of Los Angeles
Pranav Jani, Ohio State University
Brian Jones, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Stan Karp, Rethinking Schools
Joyce E. King, Georgia State University
Chris Knaus, University of Washington, Tacoma
Herb Kohl, Milwaukee
Ron Krabill, University of Washington, Bothell
Deepa Kumar, Rutgers American Association of University Professors; Rutgers University
Scott Kurashige, University of Washington, Bothell
Jia Lee, Movement of Rank and File Educators / United Federation of Teachers; Change the Stakes, New York City
Kari Lerum, University of Washington, Bothell
Karen GJ Lewis, National Board Certified Teacher
Tom Lewis, University of Iowa
Pauline Lipman, University of Illinois at Chicago
Elliott Magers, Racine Education Association; Racine Education Assistants Association
Nicholas Michelli, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Megan Moskop, Movement of Rank and File Educators / United Federation of Teachers
Suhanthie Motha, University of Washington, Seattle
Bill V. Mullen, Purdue University
Mark Naison, Fordham University
Jason Naranjo, University of Washington, Bothell
Sonia Nieto, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Kathleen M. Nolan, Princeton University
Bob Peterson, Rethinking Schools; Milwaukee Teachers Education Association
Anthony G. Picciano, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Bree Picower, Montclair State University
Nagesh Rao, Colgate University
Diane Ravitch, New York University
Victoria Restler, Graduate Center, The City University of New York
Onnie Rogers, University of Washington, Seattle
David Russitano, United Educators of San Francisco
Adam Sanchez, Zinn Education Project; Rethinking Schools
Nancy Schniedewind, State University of New York, New Paltz
Mira Shimabukuro, University of Washington, Bothell
Janelle Silva, University of Washington, Bothell
Alan Singer, Hofstra University
Christine Sleeter, California State University, Monterey Bay
David Stovall, University of Illinois, Chicago
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Princeton University
Amoshaun Toft, University of Washington, Bothell
Carrie Tzou, University of Washington, Bothell
Angela Valenzuela, Department of Educational Administration, Education Policy and Planning, University of Texas at Austin
Jon Van Camp, Prince George's County (MD) Educators' Association
Manka Varghese, University of Washington, Seattle
José Luis Vilson, New York, NY
Camille Walsh, University of Washington, Bothell
Matthew Weinstein, University of Washington, Tacoma
Elizabeth West, University of Washington, Seattle
Earl H. Wiman, National Education Association
Ken Zeichner, University of Washington, Seattle

First published at the No Struggle, No Progress Tumbler page