Teachers in West Virginia go on strike for the second time in a year



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Charleston, West Virginia – Almost a year after the West Virginia teachers' strike launched a national "Red4Ed" movement, they are doing it again.

The unions on Tuesday called for a nation-wide uproar, because of complex legislation on education, which they view as a lack of participation and a measure of retaliation. for the strike last year.

It will be a daily decision, how long it will last, said Monday the leaders of three teacher unions and school service teachers.

"We have no other choice," said Fred Albert, president of the West Virginia Chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

The 2018 walkout launched the national movement that included strikes in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Washington State and more recently in Los Angeles and Denver. Teachers in Oakland, California, have authorized a strike starting Thursday.

Now the movement is complete.

Almost all 55 West Virginia counties canceled their classes on Tuesday.

The unions said lawmakers never sought their views on what became a rushed process in the Senate, which restrictively adopted a bill amended Monday night. He returns now to the House of Delegates.

The president of the West Virginia Education Association, Dale Lee, said on the basis of the actions of the Senate: "It seems that they are more interested in listening to outside interests than educators in Virginia. West.

"We will work as closely as we can to get a resolution, but for the moment, there does not seem to be any."

A stumbling block was a provision to create the first state charter schools, which, according to unions, would erode traditional public education, but advocates of the law, according to the bill, would give parents more choice in school matters. Chartered School Laws have been passed in 43 other states and in Washington, D.C.

The Senate version would allow up to seven charter schools throughout the state and would provide up to 1,000 education savings accounts for parents to pay for a private school. The accounts would be for students with special needs and those who have been bullied.

The House version does not require such savings accounts and would limit charter schools to one in Cabell and Kanawha counties.

Among other things, the Senate deleted an earlier clause that would invalidate the entire bill if any part was canceled.

Senate Speaker Mitch Carmichael said the bill found common ground and "good intentions". This would give teachers additional pay increases of 5% and 5% after last year's strike.

Carmichael said the goal of the bill is to "get our education system out of the doldrums".

"Why would anyone want to stay in the status quo and stay in the past?" he said.

He blew up teachers' unions on Twitter Monday night:

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