We Teach Tacoma

[Generic Other]

Run time: 03:54 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzoT8XBWbVM   Posted on YouTube: September 17, 2011 By YouTube Member: Larkworthy Views on YouTube: 1   Posted on DU: September 17, 2011 By DU Member: Generic Other Views on DU: 1216

 
Tacoma Teacher Strike. Overcrowded classrooms, arbitrary re-assignment of teachers, and subjective evaluations are the major issues preventing teachers from signing a contract with the District and returning to the classroom.

Music: "Ship Gonna Sail" by Paul Kamm, Eleanore MacDonald
Filmed by Larkworthy Antfarm

[Generic Other]

1. Pep rally for teachers pulls crowd downtown

A throng of teachers, parents and students descended on the Tacoma Public Schools central office early Friday, marching, waving signs and imploring district leaders to listen and offer teachers a fair contract.

The downtown gathering took on the feel of a pep rally, with a mass of teenagers gathered on a grassy area facing Tacoma Avenue South, chanting messages such as “We support our teachers!”

Some adults chanted “93 percent, 93 percent” as they marched, referring to results of Thursday’s vote by members of the Tacoma Education Association to continue striking until a tentative contract agreement is reached.

Music teachers and students brought instruments and provided a soundtrack for the picketing – songs such as “Eye of the Tiger” and “Don’t Stop Believin’. ”

Police officers couldn’t get an accurate headcount because the crowd was too spread out, said Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum. A picket captain estimated it numbered around 2,000 people.

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/09/17/1827644/pep-rally-for-teachers-pulls-crowd.html#ixzz1YDMFqQ9B

PEP RALLY, MY ASS! This is what democracy looks like! This is what strikers look like after marching 14 miles a day for four straight days. They can't arrest us all. We are the tax base in Tacoma. They need our paychecks as much as we do.

[iemitsu]

2. the police were friendly and supportive during the demonstration yesterday

but, as usual, low on the estimate of those present.
if 2000 was the correct number that would have meant that only 200 beyond the striking union members were there.
the actual number had to be closer to 3000 than 2000.
but i guess the larger number would make the characterization of the event as a "pep rally" seem an understatement.
however; the presence of so many supporters, the students and their families, the members of other unions (longshoremen et al.), the churches that opened their doors and parking lots, and those driving by who offered vocal support did indeed raise the spirits of the striking teachers.