OLYMPIA, Wash. - Hundreds of teachers gathered on the steps of the state capitol, Saturday, to demanding better pay, smaller classes, and less testing.
The rally comes at the end of a tumultuous week, when educators felt like lawmakers were ignoring their concerns.
A day before the end of the legislative session, the ongoing budget debate is now a full-on shouting match for thousands of teachers, families, and students, who say lawmakers are failing their students.
"I love school and learning but I hate the system that looks at me as a test score and not as a student," said Kennedy Gwin, a Hoquiam High School student who addressed the crowd.
Governor Jay Inslee cheered them on, but at one point, some in the crowd directed their frustration back at him, letting him know that they think his proposed cost of living increase for teachers is too low.
Teachers in several districts walked off the jobs this past week to bring attention to their cause. It was a controversial move, as evidenced by an airplane circling over the rally, pulling a banner that read "Put kids first! No more strikes!"
"We take that very seriously and it's not something that we would do without a lot of thought," Noam Gundle, a science teacher for Seattle Public Schools, said about the strikes.
Though some lawmakers were present, most of the legislature didn't hear the rally, because the house and senate adjourned Friday and won't be back until Wednesday for the special session.
