Teachers unions hope to turn widespread educator unrest into a 2020 presidential election issue.

[DonViejo]

Walking the Picket Line Straight to the Ballot Box

Teachers unions hope to turn widespread educator unrest into a 2020 presidential election issue.

By Lauren Camera Education ReporterMarch 8, 2019, at 6:00 a.m.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF teachers walked the picket line earlier this year in L.A., the country's second-largest school district, during a six-day strike over pay, class size, testing and charter schools. The strike marked the first in the city in 30 years.

Days later, educators in Virginia got their chance to protest, putting state lawmakers on notice as thousands rallied in Richmond to spotlight the state's lack of investment in the public school system. The funding levels in the state haven't recovered since the Great Recession in 2008 and are, in fact, below recession-level, after accounting for inflation.

Next came a three-day strike in Denver, which marked the first time educators walked the picket line in Colorado in 25 years. At issue was the state's merit pay system, which allowed teachers to earn more for things like strong evaluations, students' high test scores and teaching in a high-performing or high-poverty school – a bonus system that union officials argued caused financial uncertainty.

Then, in a somewhat unanticipated move, teachers in West Virginia took center stage by participating in a statewide walkout to protest a bill that would have allowed charter school and education savings accounts. The protest effectively killed the bill, which union officials said was direct retaliation for their members' activism last year.

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https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2019-03-08/teachers-union-looks-to-make-educator-unrest-a-2020-election-issue