Teacher strikes have a tendency to grab national media attention, especially the longer they last. However, the union-led strike in Strongsville, Ohio, which moves into its sixth week, has yet to break media coverage outside of Ohio.
The Strongsville Education Association and school board cannot work out a solution to the union’s salary, benefits and pensions demands, despite spending nearly 30 hours at the negotiating table in just one week alone.
“The time has come to debunk the myth that Strongsville teachers are overpaid, when in fact the truth may be just the opposite,” says SEA President Tracy Linscott. But a wider look at the numbers from the ODE paints a murkier picture.
While the union is pushing their agenda under the guise of false information, students are suffering. Parents aren’t standing for the drama, and at least 19 students have withdrawn from Strongsville City schools since the strike began. Unfortunately, students without access to choices will continue to be at the mercy of this union-led temper tantrum.