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DC Teachers Union: Increasing Violence At Schools Requires Urgent Action
The Washington Teachers Union (WTU) released a survey on Monday, August 14th showing the increasing levels of violence in schools and the necessity of providing teachers and students with additional supports needed to address this growing concern. Thirty percent of teachers surveyed have been assaulted by students, the union said, with 42% of them saying they were slapped, punched or kicked.
The rise in school violence is one of the reasons teachers say they are resigning and not returning to the classrooms in record rates. To address these concerns, the WTU is calling on DCPS to form a special committee, provide counseling services for students, families and staff, give mental health first-aid training to staff and implement other recommendations before school starts on Aug. 28. DCPS hasn't yet responded to the union's proposal, the union said.
To provide new District of Columbia teachers with additional support, the WTU will host a special New District of Columbia Teachers Meet and Greet on Thursday, August 17th to warmly welcome and support new teachers as they begin their teaching journey this fall. Please spread the word! August 17th. 4-7PM Martin Luther King Jr.'s Memorial Library - Rooftop Terrace. Click here to RSVP.
Channel 4 News: Community comes together to support family of 10-year-old killed in Mother's Day shooting
WTU President Pogue-Lyons issued a statement to Channel 4 News on the murder of a 17-year-old student outside his high school, calling it an "unspeakable tragedy." She emphasized the need for community schools, which provided much-needed wraparound services for students and their families, especially mental health services, counseling and mentoring. To watch the full news story, click here.
DC Delays Back Pay for Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week - NBC4 Washington
NEWS CHANNEL 4 - Channel 4 Investigative Reporter Ted Oberg interviewed WTU President Pogue-Lyons on DCPS' inability to pay teachers the back pay owed to them on time. When interviewed, President Pogue-Lyons said, "They (DC leaders) knew this date was coming,” Washington Teachers’ Union President Jacqueline Pogue-Lyons said. “It’s been six months. To find this out during Teacher Appreciation Week is both disappointing and disrespectful.”
To read the full story, click here.
Channel 7 News: Thousands of DC teachers waiting for pay raise will now have to wait even longer
WASHINGTON (7News) — "Over 5,000 D.C. public school teachers are now being set back financially after learning salary hikes they’ve been expecting are now being delayed. The retroactive pay increase was part of a new contract that was ratified in December."
“Many of our teachers went through COVID, going back to classes in person, concerned about their health and their students," said Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, the Washington Teachers’ Union President. "To finally get a contract and find out that what they had been waiting for through the ups and downs of the economy is very disappointing.
”She added, “The average teacher is 32 years old, they have student loans, starting a family, hoping to get a home, so they depend on their money.”
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