REWIND: Little Rock Teacher Strike
On the morning of September 25th 1987, Little Rock teachers showed up to the picket line instead of their classrooms. The strike, the first in Arkansas history by teachers, closed schools for six days before a negotiation settlement was reached. LRCTA members wanted respect, recognition and fair compensation for their professional services. It wasn’t just the teachers who were angry. Parents, community leaders and the public in general recognized that teachers were right and the school district was in disarray. Teachers and parents alike howled at the lack of supplies, textbooks, the still unsettled pupil assignments, overcrowded classrooms, and the general distrust for the school board and administration. The district refused to re-enter negotiations until classes resumed. While the schools remained closed, public support for the teachers reached a crescendo. PTA and other parent groups blasted the school board and demanded that the boards team resume negotiations. The state Director of Education, at the request of the Governor, got negotiations back on track and a settlement was reached. “The most important thing to come out of the strike was our making the school board realize that we are in this education business together and that teacher input into the decision-making process is good for the students and the schools,” said Lou Ethel Nauden, Chairperson of the CTA Negotiations team.
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WINTER 2020
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