How could you possibly understand the moral dilemma the South Kitsap teachers are going through?  You don’t get it.

It’s not about their salary (although they deserve higher pay). It’s about the size of the classrooms that will grow if they don’t take a stand now. If you were still teaching (in the private sector as you stated), I will wager a bet that you did not have 35 (or more) students in your classroom.  It costs parents lots of money to put their child in a private school where the population is significantly lower.

Our teachers are bound by what the Legislature dictates to educate our children. Your comment about putting up with “so do more with less”, is so ludicrous. If your children are in the public school system, tell me how you feel about the number of kids in their specific classrooms. How does a teacher touch the life of each child in her/his classroom with 30-35 children (in elementary school) with varying personalities and behaviors?

I worked in this school district for 24 years as an elementary office coordinator. Doing more with less was a never-ending argument during contract bargaining. Doing more with less can’t possibly work for our teachers who by the way have done just that and never voted to strike in all the years I worked in South Kitsap. They have had enough and are now doing what you so cavalier commented “find better solutions”.

There are so many caring and giving teachers in this district and I know this decision was not made lightly.

If you don’t like it, talk to our governing body down in Olympia who hold all school districts hostage.

Jacque Johnson | Port Orchard