Why are students disciplined for walkout; teachers get off scot-free?

The Mukilteo School District has zero tolerance for students leaving campus, but when teachers choose to leave for the day there are no repercussions.

Students from the school district walked out on Monday to protest bullying. On Wednesday, teachers walked out to join thousands of others to demand more education funding and higher wages.

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The result: The teachers go back to work while students face various levels of discipline.

The two walkouts are not related, Mukilteo School District spokesman Andy Muntz told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. It becomes a safety issue when students leave campus without permission.

Nobody is disagreeing the safety aspect of the story, Dori said. But shouldn’t teachers be disciplined for doing the same thing?

“It’s a different issue,” Muntz said. “These kids are supposed to be at school.”

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Teachers are supposed to be at school, too. It is illegal for teachers to walk out of school. Dori understands the frustration felt by the students.

“I can understand why they’re looking at it that way,” Muntz said. “But they’re being disciplined for what they did. The fact is, what they’re being disciplined for is leaving campus.”

Couldn’t the district discipline the teachers, too?

Muntz refused to comment further on the teacher walkouts. It’s not a topic of discussion, he said.

“They say it’s a safety issue … Teachers are supposed to be at school and they get off scot-free,” Dori said. “These districts are so gutless that they will punish students for doing exactly what teachers are doing.”