PORT ORCHARD — As the school year draw near, teacher strikes are a possibility in south Kitsap County and Seattle following disagreements over contract negotiations.
In south Kitsap County, more than 75 percent of the teachers in the South Kitsap Education Association approved a resolution Monday to strike in protest over class sizes. The school district and the union have been negotiating since March. In May, the school district announced its largest reduction in teachers, including 61 positions, in its history. About half of those positions have been reinstated.
In Seattle, teachers have voted to reject a contract proposal on Monday.
Current sticking points include the use of test scores in evaluating teachers and whether to add 30 minutes to the workday of elementary school teachers.
Talks continue in both school districts. School is scheduled to start next week.
