Seattle families breathe sigh of relief as teachers go back to work
Sep 16, 2015, 2:41 PM | Updated: Sep 17, 2015, 9:55 am
The trampoline in Amy Bowton-Mead's backyard has been extra busy during the Seattle teachers' strike. (KIRO Radio/Josh Kerns)
(KIRO Radio/Josh Kerns)
If it seems a little breezy around Seattle, it could be the palpable sigh of relief from thousands of families thrilled the teachers are back at school.
Though the city opened community centers and organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and YMCA extended hours, many families had little choice but to turn to each other or take days off.
“It’s been challenging, I’ve had to move a lot of things around,” said Seattle mom Amy Bowton-Mead as she kept tabs on her three daughters and several of their friends Wednesday.
For the last week, they’ve kept the backyard trampoline in constant action at their northeast Seattle home, not to mention the kitchen in a constant state of disarray.
“It’s been really boring,” said Amy’s daughter and incoming first grader Julia. “It kind of felt like there was nothing to do around here. I wanted to go to school because I’ve been waiting all summer.”
Despite the scheduling challenges and trying to keep the kids occupied, Bowton-Mead and many other parents firmly backed the strike.
“Everybody that I know, everybody that I talked to supported the teachers,” she said. “They work so hard and they are so dedicated. My kids love their teachers. And I feel like they had to do something to make change.”
Still, she can’t wait for the kids to get back to school on Thursday.
“It’s time for everything to get back to normal,” Bowton-Mead said. “It’s been a long summer.”
Not all the neighborhood kids necessarily agree. The strike has brought a windfall to some young entrepreneurs like 14-year-old Sage Hobbs, an incoming freshman at Nathan Hale High School.
“It’s been very busy and a lot of money,” Sage said as she cooked up a pot of instant macaroni and cheese for several kids she was babysitting. “A lot of babysitting. Everyone in the area goes to Seattle public schools, obviously, so it’s been really good. Except for that I still want to go to school.”
Starting Thursday, she gets her wish — along with over 53,000 others — much to the relief of their parents.
