COLUMBUS – The union representing nearly 600 teachers in the Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools began picketing at a dozen locations Tuesday morning after voting to go on strike at midnight.
The district’s contract with its 572 teachers ended at the end of June, according to a report by WBNS 10-TV.
The decision came after contract talks over a disagreement about how to resume in-person learning in a manner “that will set-up all students for success,” Gahanna-Jefferson Education Association spokesperson Betsy Baker said.
“Students should have their teacher’s full attention during instruction, which is simply unrealistic when a teacher is trying to interact simultaneously with students virtually and in-person,” Baker said.
“We are committed to continuing these conversations with a focus on finding mutually agreeable solutions that allow us to get hybrid students back to our classrooms and assure quality instruction for our distance learners,” superintendent Steve Barrett wrote in message on the district’s website. “We know this is taking a toll on our teachers, our students and families, and our community, as it is on the Board and district leaders. We are working to prevent further disruption and to resolve this situation as swiftly as possible.”
The district said it would hire substitute teachers.
Students learning under a hybrid model were scheduled to return to classrooms Tuesday but the district delayed that until Friday.