Teachers walked out of Forest Park High School as a group to the sound of applause at 2:18 p.m. Monday.
As the teachers made their ways to the faculty parking lot, students stood outside the school and showed support for their educators.
Teachers at Forest Park, Battlefield and Patriot High Schools, as well as Potomac Middle, started a “Work to Rule” campaign Monday in response to the recent school budget proposal.
Superintendent Steven L. Walts’ proposed budget does not include a step increase for any schools employees for a third year in a row. There are no plans for staff or program reductions, either.
The budget, which was discussed at two recent School Board meetings, also indicates that there are no plans for raises until 2016 at the earliest.
On Monday, teachers entered their respective schools as a group at the same time — 7:15 a.m. at the high schools — and left schools when their contract hours ended at 2:15 p.m.
A crowd of about 30 teachers walked out the front door of Forest Park to their cars shortly after that scheduled time, many of them wearing “Work to Rule” pins.
Nicholas Watkins, an English teacher for 10th and 11th grades at Forest Park, said around double that number walked in together in the morning.
“There were 50 to 60 teachers,” he said, wearing a “Work to Rule” badge.
Teachers and staff members who receive stipends or other compensation for coaching athletic teams or other like commitments remained at the school as required. Watkins said that contributed to a lower turnout at the end of the day.
This is the third year that teachers in Prince Willliam County have not had a step increase. This year they will not get a raise and it is predicted that there will be no raise through 2016. This is absurd. In the same newspaper was an article saying Prince William County was the 9th wealthiest county in the United States. 9th wealthiest? Pay your teachers and pay them well. They also have the largest class sizes in the state of Virginia, on average.
