DC teachers demand DCPS show its “appreciation” by returning to bargaining table

Last week was National Teacher Appreciation Week, but DC teachers did not feel very appreciated. Chanting “I’m worth more than 1%” and “No contract equals no appreciation,” nearly 100 teachers, backed by the Washington Teachers’ Union, from three of the city’s top performing public schools—Murch Elementary School, Deal Middle School and Wilson Senior High School, as well as other Ward 3 schools—held “A Call to Action” march and rally on Thursday to demand that DCPS and Chancellor Kaya Henderson show real appreciation for teachers by resuming contract negotiations with the WTU. “It’s not enough to say “Thank You” and then move on with business as usual,” said WTU president Elizabeth Davis. “Expressing appreciation for teachers rings hollow if it is not accompanied by the respect that teachers earn every day and a true commitment to work together.” The first of a series of rallies being planned across the city,  WTU said its members intend to keep pushing for the DCPS negotiating team to join the union at the bargaining table.
photos by Devin Nixon