The Vancouver Education Association and Vancouver Public Schools have still not reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, according to union leadership.
The union’s current contract is set to expire Aug. 31. Union President Jamie Anderson said Wednesday that even if a deal is not reached by the end of this week, the first day of school will still start on time Wednesday.
Preventing inflated class sizes remains a sticking point for the union, whose members say it can create dangerous working conditions for teachers and hinder the learning experience for students.
“You can only have so many students under (your supervision) until it becomes physically unsafe, whether that’s a kindergarten class or high school physics lab,” Anderson said. “And it’s hard to develop relationships with kids in overloaded classes; those relationships are so important to students’ well-being.”
Earlier this summer, Anderson said projected elementary classes could exceed 30 students per class — totals, she said, she “can’t fathom.” The union’s executive board expressed to Anderson that preventing higher class sizes is make-or-break to prevent a strike.
Anderson and the union’s bargaining team are in the process of reviewing the most recent contract proposal from the district. They are scheduled to meet again Friday. The union is also working to schedule a full membership meeting for next week when it will likely either vote to ratify a new contract or hold a strike authorization vote.
Were a strike to be authorized, teachers would not go on strike until after Labor Day — which would be the second week of school. The Ridgefield School District experienced a similar situation in 2022 when its teachers went on strike after the school year had already started.
District spokeswoman Jessica Roberts said Wednesday the district is hopeful it will soon reach a tentative agreement. But last year’s $35 million in budget cuts specifically challenges the viability of smaller class sizes, she said.
“The budget reduction has resulted in a staffing model with less positions than we’ve had in the past. This does mean larger class sizes and caseloads are forecast for the year,” Roberts said. “As students enroll and the school year starts, we will be adjusting classes to balance out needs and address areas of concern.”
Despite bargaining stalls, Anderson said she wouldn’t characterize the past month of meetings as wholly unproductive.
The district, she said, has been receptive to the union’s concerns about special education staffing shortages — perhaps the biggest point of contention for teachers unions in nearby Evergreen and Camas during last year’s strikes.
“There’s been a good amount of recognition for the stress (special education staffers) are under,” Anderson said.
Copies of tentative contract proposals from either side are not publicly available, which is standard practice for ongoing bargaining.
“In the midst of a public education funding crisis, it is admittedly challenging to deliver what we would ideally want,” Roberts said. “Our state funding model is not aligned with student needs and the real-world costs of running a school district.”
