‘Constant Groundswell’: Teachers encourage students, community members to attend “7:20” statement by flagpole at 7 a.m.

*story updated at bottom; 2:15 p.m. 11/15/2019. 

After hundreds showed to support teacher salary increases and reduced hours at Monday’s SMSD Board Meeting, teachers are encouraging community members to attend their “7:20” statement by the flagpole at 7 a.m. Friday.

Teachers have carried out the “7:20” statements for weeks — in which teachers stand by the flagpole from around 7:15 to 7:20 a.m. instead of going straight inside. The point, according to social studies teacher Stephen Laird, is to show their disapproval of the SMSD teacher contract impasse situation by walking in at their contractually obligated time, 7:20, instead of earlier. 

The norm for teachers to be at school to help students as early as 6:00 a.m. as late as 4:30 p.m. has grown at East, Laird said, but isn’t feasible anymore with the comparatively lower pay teachers are now receiving and the additional class hours they have to teach — from five class periods a day to six. The statements will hopefully send a message to the SMSD that resolving teacher contracts is paramount.  

“We’re trying to express that we’re overworked, and that [the SMSD] takes advantage of a lot of our work,” Laird said. “Yes, we want to come in early because we want to help kids, but the district is taking advantage of that. We’re not paid for that time. So a lot of us have been cutting back on that with everything going on right now.” 

Click this line to read more about Monday’s board meeting, the speeches given and the current state of teacher contract impasse.

Signs have been made for Friday — some made by students — with messages like “teachers unite” and “proud teachers” written in bold. They’re not meant to be political, but rather to display their cohesiveness and fellowship, according to Laird. Friday’s statement will hopefully draw in even more support and awareness for the teachers’ strained situations and difficulties, he said, even with the swell of support seen at board meetings. 

“The board meeting had a lot of involvement, and a lot of people showed up, but we want to really show the board and the board’s team that we’re united and together in this,” Laird said. “We need to do that in more than one night. It’s becoming a constant groundswell.” 

Teachers will be outside the school by the flagpole at 7 a.m. or shortly before, until they head in at 7:20 — hopefully, Laird said, with students and community members in tow. 

Updated 2:01 p.m. 11/15/19 (photos by Julia Percy and Sarah Golder) 

Over 40 students and teachers gathered by the flagpole around 7 a.m. Friday morning in support of efforts for teacher salary increases, reduced class period requirements and an end to months-long contract negotiations with the SMSD.

The “7:20” statements will continue on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week. Students, Laird said, are encouraged to participate as they did Friday.