Some Parents Ready To Help Cover Costs If Teachers Strike
DENVER (CBS4) – Parents of students at Slavens School supportive of teachers preparing to strike organized a GoFundMe account to help cover expenses. It's in anticipation of members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association go without a paycheck and join the picket line.
"We just wanted to be able to step up as a community and show how much we appreciate them, how much we appreciate what they do for our families and our kids on a daily basis," said Megan Perkins, the mother of three students in Denver Public Schools.
Perkins and another mother, Laura Edwards, got the idea from other school communities like Lincoln Elementary and George Washington High School, as well as the DCTA itself. They set a goal of $1,000 and quickly received a lot of smaller donations from other parents and members of the community. They have already passed their goal and now have raised more than $5,000.
"We know we won't be able to come anywhere near the pay they are going to be losing while going on strike," said Edwards.
They have talked to the teachers at Slavens and identified the staff members who would benefit from some additional help during the strike. Some teachers said they did not want to take the money as they know others would have a greater need for the support. They plan to keep fundraising during the strike and then divide the money among all the teachers who agreed to receive the funding after the strike is over. Both mothers say they think it is important for parents to encourage educators in any way possible.
"Just showing that support to the teachers regardless of your financial situation, I think is really important," Edwards added.
These two DPS parents understand the desire of DCTA members to go to the picket line, they believe the district needs to meet the demands of the union and adjust their salary proposal.
"We're behind our teachers and we want our teachers to paid fairly and compensated as they should be," Perkins said.
The length of the strike is unknown but for now both mothers will let their students attend school. They admit they are unsure what activities the children will participate in on campus. Both believe it is worth the potential setback their students will face in the classroom to see the long term benefits of a new deal for teachers.
"Sometimes you have to outweigh the loss for the greater good and that's what I think this situation is," Edwards said.
"And I think as parents we're all willing to do that," Perkins added.