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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 12 November 2019
Little Rock teachers to go on

strike over district's control

By ANDREW DEMILLO a one-day strike, Gordon cal control and next year's
Associated Press left open the possibility of school board election is a
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Lit- it stretching beyond Thurs- major step approved by
tle Rock teachers will go on day if the panel doesn't re- the state Board of Educa-
strike for one day this week turn full local control. tion."
over an Arkansas panel's "No options are off the ta- A teachers strike in Little
decision to strip their collec- ble at this point," she said. Rock would follow similar
tive bargaining power and The only other teachers actions elsewhere.
complaints about state strike in the district was in A strike in Chicago, the na-
control of the 23,000-stu- 1987, when Little Rock stu- tion's third-largest school
dent district, union officials dents missed six days of district, canceled 11 days
said Monday. school before a new two- of classes for more than
The strike that will take year contract was ap- 300,000 students before a
place Thursday will be only proved. contract deal was reached
the second time teach- Little Rock Superintendent on Oct. 31. And teachers
ers have walked out of the Michael Poore said the in several states, including
job in Little Rock history. district's schools will remain Oklahoma, West Virginia
The Little Rock Education open and buses will con- and Kentucky, protested
Association's announce- tinue to run, though some last year at state capitols
ment comes after the state classes may have to be over wages and other is-
Board of Education in Oc- combined. In anticipation sues.
tober voted to no longer of the strike, school officials Those in support of ending
recognize the union when have been lining up hun- the Little Rock union's rec- Little Rock School District Superintendent Michael Poore speaks
to reporters at the district's offices in Little Rock, Ark. on Monday,
the contract expired Oct. dreds of substitute teachers ognition have said more Nov. 11, 2019.
31. and said between 250 and teachers will be represent- Associated Press
The union has been call- 300 district and state em- ed by the district setting up
ing for the state to give ployees can also work as a personnel policies com- December. what's best for our children,
them back their bargaining educators. mittee made up of teach- Wendy Sheridan, a Little and that's to be in school,
power. Before the contract "We are going to try to ers that would offer advice Rock parent, said she and at this point what's best for
ended on Oct. 31, the Little have as normal of a day on salaries and other issues. her two children will join our children is to support
Rock School District had as we possibly can," Poore The state board also voted teachers at the picket line our educators and support
been the only one in Arkan- told reporters. Poore said to reinstate employee pro- on Thursday before going others who are trying to do
sas where a teachers union officials don't know how tections for teachers in the to the state board meeting. what's right for them in the
had collective bargaining many teachers will join the district that it had waived in "While as parents we want long run," she said.q
power. But union leaders strike.
said Thursday's strike was The state Board of Educa-
focused more broadly on tion last month backed off
returning full local control a plan to divide control of
to the district. the school district after crit-
Arkansas has run Little ics said it would return Little
Rock's schools since the Rock to a racially segre-
state board took over the gated system 62 years af-
district in January 2015 be- ter nine black students in-
cause of low test scores at tegrated all-white Central
several schools. The state High School.
board has voted to put the The union, however, criticiz-
district under a local board es the latest plan because
that will be elected in No- the state would still main-
vember 2020, but with limits tain some authority.
on its authority. The strike State Education Secretary
will occur the day the state Johnny Key and Gov. Asa
panel is expected to vote Hutchinson, a Republican
on establishing the zones who appointed eight of the
for the new local board. nine state board members,
"As educators, we would said they were disappoint-
rather be in the classroom ed with the strike decision.
with our students, not on "I am disappointed that the
the picket line," Teresa union has chosen to lead
Knapp Gordon, the union's a strike that encourages
president, said at a news teachers to walk out on
conference outside Little their students," Hutchinson
Rock Central High School. said in a statement. "Super-
"However, this community intendent Mike Poore has
and the passionate, dedi- made it clear we are go-
cated educators of this dis- ing to continue classes and
trict will do what is neces- continue education and
sary to protect the futures that we will not let a strike
of our students." stop the education of our
While the union billed it as students. We all desire lo-