UPDATE: Seattle Public Schools superintendent says negotiations with teachers’ union continue and he’s still hopeful school can start tomorrow
3:01 PM: SPS superintendent Ben Shuldiner is just about to begin his briefing on the teacher contract situation. You can watch live here. We’ll be publishing toplines as it goes.
3:04 PM: The superintendent begins by saying talks overnight continued until 1:30 am and says they’re in talks right now and he is impressed by the progress and collaboration “in a very positive direction.” He says he feels optimistic and will provide updates every two hours. He says they’re still going through key issues but reiterates that he feels optimistic and “we’ll do everything we can to open up schools,” which he’s still hoping can happen tomorrow. His message to families: “We are making our decisions with you in mind” and is aware of family logistics so if they have to, they will provide “support” at campuses tomorrow, such as meals. “We are always hoping for the best …. but we have plans” if needed.
3:09 PM: First question, what time would he “call it” and say OK, we have to go to Plan B? The superintendent said he’s “thinking of it like Snow Days … we hope to have an answer way before midnight.” He hopes by by 10 pm.
3:11 PM: What progress is being made? Shuldiner won’t get into specifics but says the back and forth has “been moving at such a quick speed” which he interprets as wanting “to get this done …so we can open up schools.”
3:13 PM: He says they’ll release an FAQ shortly about backup plans and the “community partners” he mentioned yesterday are those that already have individual relationships with schools…. The union is reported to have made a special-education proposal, one report says, so how is that working? Shuldiner again says he’s not getting into specifics but “it does feel like we’re really making some progress.” He also was heartened by the SEA statement. early this morning also saying they were making progress. What other topics are the focus? He had said earlier that it was special education and salary, and reiterates the latter. … Asked again about what time they could wait till before having to make a call on school tomorrow, he said that could be as late as 5 am, “when the buses run.”
3:18 AM: “If a decision is made, you’ll hear it from the rooftops,” he says, promising they’d get info out every way possible. After this briefing, he says, they hope 5:30 pm would be their next update (then 7:30, 9:30, etc.). If school does not start, food would still be available at campuses 9 am-1 pm – breakfast and lunch in one “to-go bag.” (No paperwork required.) If you’re not sure about whether your school’s regular child-care would be opened, call the school now and ask he recommends. … Asked what else he has to say to parents, he thanks them for their patience and says they’re taking every moment they can to be sure it’s done right.
3:24 PM: How will the communications be delivered to “families with language barriers”? Shuldiner apologizes that they haven’t done the best on that but the communication staff is working on it … Chief of staff Bev Redmond says translation will be done in a variety of ways for the messages as they go out via district platforms, social media, robocalls, etc. … Asked about how the mediator has affected the negotiations, he says they’ve been “very helpful.” … Has the school board given direction on how these talks should proceed? He says the board has “empowered” him to “get a deal done … and keep the lights on.” … Have they provided any guidance “in the past few days?” He again declines to mention specifics.
3:32 PM: How is the district’s budget gap affecting the talks? “It’s the sword of Damocles that hangs over us all,” Shuldiner replied. Then he said he has to get back to the bargaining table, and ended the briefing.
BOTTOM LINE: They’re still talking and the district will provide updates every two hours. If no agreement, he’ll wait as long as possible before declaring “no school” – very late tonight or even early tomorrow.
P.S. We’ll publish all the updates too, and are also watching the union’s online channels for any word from them.
