The election, school closures, and mascots, this week

Bill Radke discusses the week's news with Washington State Wire CEO and publisher D.J. Wilson, The Everett Herald cities reporter Isabella Breda, and Crosscut city politics reporter David Kroman.

Last week kids aged 5-11 became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. For parents sending their kids off to school, this new eligibility may have eased concerns about spread and instilled a little hope that schooling is returning to normal. But schools are juggling more than just COVID spread right now. Today, Seattle, Bellevue and Kent schools are closed due to a staffing shortage. Why are schools closing? A combination of factors. The largest is a surge in leave requests from teachers for today specifically (thus extending the weekend into four days, in combination with the Veterans’ Day holiday). In a statement, Seattle Public Schools said this is indicative of burnout: “The number of leave requests on a Friday after a federal holiday is indicative of the fatigue our staff and students are experiencing in these months of the return to classroom.” What’s burning teachers out?

Speaking of school, the deadline is fast approaching for two Marysville schools to change their mascots. Back in June the Tulalip Tribe requested the change, citing a new law passed by the Washington legislature that allows tribes to veto mascots they deem inappropriate if they belong to schools with enrollment boundaries on tribal reservation or trust lands. Pilchuck high school will no longer be “the Tomahawks”, and Totem middle school will no longer be “the Thunderbirds”. The schools have until December 31st to phase out the mascots. Why is it important to change the mascot?

Plus, it’s been a little over a week since the election. This week City Councilmember and Budget Committee Chair Teresa Mosqueda introduced some proposed amendments to Mayor Durkan’s upcoming budget. Facing a projected 2022 shortfall in city revenue, Councilmember Mosqueda focused on the police budget as a place for potential cuts. The amendments would cut funding from SPD that the department hasn’t dedicated to salaries. Mayor Durkan has said that the bloat in salary money comes from a staffing problem originating from the City Council. Bruce Harrell echoed that sentiment this week. “Last Tuesday, the voters of Seattle resoundingly and unambiguously rejected defunding the police,” Harrell said. What does this signal about a Harrell mayorship and the city’s stance on policing?

Last week Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman announced she was accepting a position in national elections security from President Joe Biden. This marked the departure of one of Washington’s signature Republicans, and from an office which has been headed by a Republican for decades. Governor Jay Inslee announced on Wednesday that her interim replacement will be State Senator Steve Hobbs. Hobbs is a democrat from Lake Stevens, and currently chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. Why did Governor Inslee choose him for the job?

Lastly, opponents of the Washington Cares Fund filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the program from taking effect in January this week. The Cares Fund is a mandatory payroll tax where workers pay a premium of .58% per paycheck, and starting Jan. 1, 2025, people who need assistance with at least three “activities of daily living” such as bathing, dressing or administration of medication, can tap into the fund to pay for things like in-home care, home modifications like a wheelchair ramp and rides to the doctor. The fund can also be used to pay for meals or family caregivers. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three Washington businesses and six individuals who the state doesn’t have the power to mandate an employee benefit. What does this fund exactly do, and why this lawsuit is happening?