PORT ANGELES — More than 300 Port Angeles and Sequim teachers, administrators, parents, students and a school board member turned out for an education funding rally at Veterans Park on Monday.
The two districts are among 57 statewide where teacher unions have voted to join a “rolling walkout” in protest of what they say is the state Legislature’s inaction in fully funding kindergarten-through-grade 12 education as required by a state Supreme Court decision.
Chimacum teachers held a walkout and rally Friday.
“It’s a great turnout,” said Barry Burnett, president of the Port Angeles local of the Washington Education Association, on Monday’s midday rally.
The two Clallam County locals represent 217 teachers in Port Angeles and 175 in Sequim.
Many passing cars on South Lincoln Street honked their support to the teachers, who cheered and waved their signs with each honk.
One driver yelled, “Go back to work.”
Teachers ignored the comment, while adults and children played frisbee on the Clallam County Courthouse lawn, chatted and listened to speeches and music amid signs that said “Teach More, Test Less,” “No More Crowded Classrooms” and “Fund Education Now.”
The state Supreme Court ordered full funding of K-12 education in the state’s public schools by 2018 in its 2012 McCleary ruling, in which Stephanie McCleary, now Chimacum schools’ human resources director and a Sequim native, was the lead plaintiff.
The court cited legislators in September for contempt for making no progress toward the goal and gave them until the end of the legislative session this year to show progress or risk sanctions.
The Legislature is now in a special session to consider education funding.
Teachers at the rally asked how the Legislature is going to be held accountable.
“If they’re held in contempt, who is going to jail? If we did that, we would go to jail,” said Buddy Bear, a social studies teacher at Port Angeles High School and member of the Washington Education Association board of directors.
Teachers and education supporters are feeling hurt, anger and frustration, Bear said.
On Monday, rally speakers said the state funding issues and legislative mismanagement of education are widespread, including such issues as large class sizes, student testing taking more class time and a lack of cost of living increases for several years.
Sarah Methner, chairwoman of the Port Angeles School Board, spoke at the event in support of the teachers’ goals.
“We are tired of waiting and waiting,” Methner said.
Teachers are allies, not the enemy, and need to be treated as such, she said.
Methner noted that a nearly $10 billion tax break for Boeing took just three days, while education funding remains elusive.
Each district has scheduled a makeup day in June so students and teachers can complete the state-mandated 180-day school year.
Port Angeles students’ last day will be June 15, and Sequim students will have a last day of class June 18.
Graduating seniors at Port Angeles and Sequim high schools will not be required to attend the makeup day.
Chimacum will require seniors to attend school June 8, two days after their scheduled graduation June 6, to claim their diplomas.
For the remainder of Chimacum students, the last day of school will be June 15 instead of June 12.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
