Broadview Neighborhood Schools

Viewlands School

As we all know Seattle Public Schools teachers are strike. The teachers from Viewlands Elementary and Broadview-Tompson K-8 will be taking a day off from picketing tomorrow (in observance of 9/11) for a day of service.  They will meet at the Carkeek parking lot behind Viewlands at 9:00 to pick up trash through the trails behind the school. At 11:00 everyone will meet by the Salmon Slide playground for a picnic. All are welcome!

Broadview Thomson PTA would like to share a message from our teachers.

Hello BT Families & Friends!

Below is a message from our teachers:

 Dear Broadview Parents and Community Members;

Going on strike is hard! We are invested in providing the best education possible for our students.  Being  out of the classroom is emotionally wrenching. We feel obligated to take this step because at this time the contract proposed by the district contains provisions that we believe do not provide the best supports to students and the people who are working with them.

Our belief is that students are over tested and that the time and energy that goes into testing would be better spent in more time of instruction.

Our belief is that a longer school day does not necessarily mean a better school day. We have been looking at research and there is no evidence that an extra 30 minutes would benefit the academic experience of our students. They get tired! And they need time to process new information.

Our belief is that caseloads for support personal such as psychologists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists need to be reasonable. If these professionals water down their services due to high caseloads the students do not get the services they need.

Our belief is that all students deserve an equitable education and according to the data, some students are not getting what they need with our current system. We want to change that! We believe we can do better and are committed to finding adjustments that will guarantee a quality education for all.

Our belief is that professionals deserve a professional wage. The cost of living in Seattle is rising rapidly. We see colleagues moving to other districts and leaving the profession due to economic hardship. We want to retain and attract excellent teachers for our students and our district.

We ask for your understanding and support as we continue to work for improvements to our school district.

Respectfully