In August, the Marysville, Washington school superintendent refused to comply with 30 union demands, including across-the-board raises that would have cost the district $14 million. And so, on September 1st - the first day of school, chosen to cause maximum chaos - Marysville teachers began what is about to become the longest strike in the state's history. It's gone on so long that even children are fed up with their unexpected vacation, especially seniors who saw college application deadlines looming and graduation slipping into late summer. So, a group of high-school students requested that the teachers go back to work. Request denied. The resourceful students took matters into their own hands and held an all-night sit-in to protest the strike, to no avail. They begged the governor to intervene. He wouldn't. Finally, they enlisted the help of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, which helped the kids call a press conference to dramatize their cause. The Washington Education Association responded by calling EFF "an evil band of zealots." The EFF has decided to live up to the name, so they "covered up [their] horns," as spokeswoman Marsha Richards put it, and distributed information about district rules and school funding to parents, teachers, and students. As it turns out, the strike is actually illegal under state law, but the Marysville superintendent has yet to go to court to enforce the no-strike provision, though she has indicated that "perhaps, one of these days" she might. A group of parents has beaten her to the punch.
"Kids these days," by Heather Roscoe, American Spectator, October 7, 2003,
"The paramount duty of the state is . . . high school football?" Evergreen Freedom Foundation, October 3, 2003,
"Parents file suit in Marysville teacher strike," by Leslie Knopp, October 6, 2003,