Teachers reluctant to strike

South Whidbey teachers joined their cohorts statewide last week in showing reluctance to go on strike this spring.

“South Whidbey teachers joined their cohorts statewide last week in showing reluctance to go on strike this spring.Scott Mauk, president of the South Whidbey Education Association, said that of 65 staff members polled only 30 percent expressed interest in a strike.Each school district in the state was surveyed by the Washington Education Association, which is pressuring the Legislature to provide more money for education.We don’t think a strike is the answer right now, said WEA President Lee Ann Prielipp in a news release issued Friday. There are other ways to convince our elected leaders to fund high-quality public schools.There are 70,000 members of the WEA. Instead of striking, they may stage community and regional events directed at state lawmakers, according to Prielipp.The state Senate approved a budget last week that educators claim cuts more than $72 million in existing education programs, fails to provide all teachers a cost-of-living pay increase, and increases health insurance costs that teachers must pay.South Whidbey’s teachers are on spring break this week. “