The thought of teachers going on strike is enough to fill most parents with dread. Where would the kids go all day when parents have to work? How far behind would they fall in their learning? An indefinite delay to the start of school would throw entire households, and entire communities, into chaos.
It very nearly happened in Seattle this year. And despite the stakes, the parents in the community had a surprising reaction.
Seattle teachers demanded better pay and conditions
The Seattle Education Association spent much of the summer in heated negotiations with Seattle Public Schools. Roughly a week before school was to begin, the union authorized a strike if negotiators could not reach a deal.
Teachers had previously gone on strike for five days at the start of the 2022 school year. In 2026, teachers asked for three things in particular.
Improvements in special education
Union proposals from the district before the school year threatened to “combine special education tracks and shrink the number of paraeducators per class,” according to KUOW-TV. This potential change became a major sticking point between teachers and the district.
Relief from large class sizes
The teachers’ union claimed that increasing class sizes was putting too much pressure on teachers and wanted the district to adopt caps on how many students could be in a single classroom.
Better pay
Interestingly, public school teachers in Seattle are well paid compared with many of their peers across the country—at least on paper. The Seattle Times reports that, according to the union, the average full-time salary of a Seattle teacher is around $117,000.
The national average from 2024-2025 was closer to $74,495. Still, they asked for more.
Parents and community members lent support
Teachers in Seattle received criticism from some across social media for asking for better pay when they already average six-figure salaries and secured pay increases in each of the past several years under the previous collective bargaining agreement.
However, they live in a surprisingly high-cost-of-living area. According to NerdWallet, the cost of living in Seattle is about 66% higher than in Chattanooga, for example. A $117,000 salary in Seattle would translate to about $70,394 in Chattanooga. That would actually mean Seattle teachers could make the case they are underpaid compared to their peers in other parts of the country.
What really mattered to the teachers in Seattle was the voice of the community. Parents who dreaded the impact a strike might have on their kids and families offered overwhelming support.
One mom, Alicia Brown, who has a third grader in Seattle Public Schools, told KING-TV, “I’m really hoping, fingers crossed, they come to an agreement because our teachers need to be cared for too. They’re caring for our little ones. Their young minds are the future.”
Candie Riley, a mom with three school-aged kids, said she supported the strike, if necessary. “If they need to do it, they should do it. I think they should stick it out and be on their time.”
Olivia Chung said in a video interview that she hoped the school district would start “bargaining in good faith,” and added, “We’re all in support of our educators.”
Many parents even showed up on the picket line alongside teachers from their children’s schools, and dozens signed an open letter to the district officially siding with educators and urging a new deal.
Strike averted at the 11th hour
The community support and pressure worked. Teachers and the district reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday, September 1. The deal allowed school to start on schedule the very next day, September 2.
Negotiators reached agreement on every item, including a pay raise for teachers. Union Vice President Davina Diaz said the union “won some great wins” that would make Seattle Public Schools one of the best employers in the region.
For their part, parents were relieved to have schools open and on schedule and a reliable place to send their kids during the day. Although they didn’t find out schools would be open until about 11 p.m. the night before, their support for the teachers charged with caring for their children never wavered.
In the end, that made all the difference.
