A2
Hood River News, Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Teachers rally for education funding
Camas, Washougal
educators protest
state budget
By DANIELLE FROST
Camas-Washougal Post-Record
Employees from the
Camas and Washoug al
school districts joined forces
to raise awareness during a
teacher walkout day May 13.
The demonstration was in
protest against the state leg-
islature for failing to fully
fund K-12 education and
keep class sizes smaller,
among other issues.
Current and former teach-
ers, as well as some classified
staff members, congregated
at the busy intersection of
192nd Avenue and 34th Street
in Camas, where they waved
signs at passing motorists,
many of whom honked and
cheered back.
Leaders from both unions
have emphasized that the
work stoppage was not di-
rected at the school districts.
The Camas Education Asso-
ciation and Washougal Asso-
ciation of Educators voted to
approve the walkout at the
encouragement of the state
teacher’s union, the Wash-
ington Education Associa-
tion.
Due to the missed day for
students, the school year will
be extended to meet the state
requirement of 180 school
days.
The last day of school for
students will now be Tues-
day, June 16, instead of June
15. June 15 will now be a reg-
ular school day.
Rep. Liz Pike (R-Camas)
noted that while she sup-
ports the teachers, she does
not support the walkout or
reasoning behind it.
“We have amazing teach-
ers throughout the district
who work hard and should
be paid a living wage for
what they do,” she said. “Un-
fortunately, there’s a lot of
misinfor mation
being
spread around by their
union, the Washington Edu-
cation Association, regard-
ing funding of K-12 educa-
tion.”
Pike noted that if ap-
proved, the Senate Republi-
can budget proposal would
provide a nearly 18 percent
increase for education, the
largest percentage growth in
25 years.
“I’m very disappointed
that the WEA is encouraging
illegal teacher strikes by
misinforming our teachers
about budget proposals,” she
said. “I believe these walk-
outs (were) premature, be-
cause proposals are current-
ly being negotiated, and the
budget is not settled.”
School wildlife gardens win Envirogorge award
Photo by Emily Kao
WHITSON ELEMENTARY Principal Todd McCauley, Cheri Anderson
and Jennifer Rowlen of Gorge National Fishery, and Jeanette
Burkhart of Yakama Native Fisheries accepted an Envirogorge
award on behalf of a school science partnership. The Nature Space
Awards are monthly prizes for people or businesses making a
small-scale positive change to the natural areas of the Gorge.
White Salmon — Whitson
Elementary ’s Schoolyard
Habitat program received En-
virogorge’s Nature Space
Award last Thursday.
The school in White Salmon
ear ned accolades for its
wildlife program, which is co-
ordinated in partnership with
Columbia River Gorge Nation-
al Fish Hatchery (NFH), and
Yakama Nation Fisheries
(YNF). The Nature Space
Award is a monthly prize for
people or businesses making a
small-scale positive change to
the natural areas of the Gorge.
The program reinforces the
school’s natural science cur-
riculum, with gardens for all
grade levels K-3. Kinder-
garteners maintain a worm-
composting bin, fed with
lunch scraps. The compost is
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used in the first grade veggie
garden that emphasizes their
seed science curriculum. Sec-
ond graders use the native pol-
linator garden to get up close
and personal with bugs during
their insect unit. Third grade
students learn from Yakama
Native Fisheries about cultur-
ally important plants for the
native tribes, working hands
on at an ethnobotany garden.
The gardens don’t require
any watering. This makes stu-
dents more aware of water
usage, especially this year
when the snow pack fell to
record lows.
It has been an educational
experience for many to see na-
tive planting instead of more
traditional manicured areas.
This is all part of the plan, ac-
cording to Burkhart. “Part of
my hope is that we change
people’s concept of landscape
aesthetics,” said Burkhart.
“What some people call messy
we call diversity.”
Principal Todd McCauley
is a strong supporter of the
endeavor. “I love it. I see
tremendous value in the edu-
cational link it creates from
what the students are learn-
ing to the real world,” said
McCauley.
The PTO and FWS provid-
ed much of the initial fund-
ing, but they rely on volun-
teered time from partners
and other groups to main-
tain the gardens. If you are
interested in helping with
the Schoolyard Habitat pro-
ject, call Cheri Anderson 509-
493-2934 or email her at
cheri_anderson@fws.gov.
Happy Hour
5-6
Open ‘till 10pm on June 6th
$
20
T HREE
C OURSE
D INNERS
Photo by Danielle Frost
EDUCATORS FROM the Camas and Washougal school districts
joined forces last Wednesday during a demonstration at 192nd Av-
enue and 34th Street during the teacher walkout day.The protest was
against the state legislature for failing to fully fund K-12 education.
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