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D11TeachersUnionPlanstoStrikeonOct8

WillaKalmanowitz,EditorinChief

Asstudentsandtheirfamiliesmayhaveheard,D11teachersareplanningtostrikeonOctober8 Thestrike willincludepicketingoutsidetheschoolsduringthedayandarallyinAcaciaParkat2:30pm.Teacherstrikes oftenmakeheadlines,butwhatarethey?Whydotheyhappen?Andwhoaretheunionsbehindthem?

th Laborunionsareorganizationsmadebyworkerstocometogetherandstrengthentheirvoices.TheColorado SpringsEducationAssociation,CSEA,isalaborunionrepresentingover1,500teacherswithinDistrict11 WhiletheunionrepresentsmanyD11teachers,joiningtheunionisachoice,anditisonethatnotallteachers make.Teacherunionsareimportantbecauseitgivesteachersalargerinfluenceandallowsthemtocreate changesthatbenefitbotheducatorsandtheirstudents

TheColoradoEducationAssociationstatesthatteacherswhohaveaCollectiveBargainingAgreementwith theiremployerthroughtheirunionearnanaverageof30%morethanthosewithoutaCBA.Theyalsoclaim that95%ofunionmembershaveahealthinsuranceandpensionplanavailabletothem,whilenon-union membersfallbelow70%Teacherunionscanbeveryimportantinensuringafairworkingenvironmentand strongrepresentation.

Astrikeisanorganizedstoppageofworktovoiceconcernsabouttheactionsofanemployee’shigherups.In thiscase,theteacherunionorganizedandannouncedtheir plantostrikeonOctober8 Thisisaprotected th strike,meaningthatunionmemberswhoparticipate cannotbepenalizedforit,howevertheywillnotbe paidforthedaytheyspendoutoftheclassroom. Schoolwillgoonasusualdespitemanyteachers beingabsent.Picketing,whichtakesplaceduring manystrikes,isaphysicaldemonstrationofthe strikeWorkerswilloftengatheraroundtheir placeofworkwithsignsanddochants,like aprotest.TheD11teachersannouncedthattheyplantopicket. Thisstrikeiscausedbymanythingsthathaveupsettheunion,includingtheD11BoardofEducation dissolvingamasteragreementinDecember,whichwasacontractbetweenthedistrictandtheteachers’union InMay,CSEAvotedand91%agreedtostrike.Forthoseinterestedinshowingtheirsupportforteachersand theircause,arallywilltakeplaceinAcaciaParkat2:30pm.

CynniahMack,EventsEditor

SchoolviolencehasbecomeamajorissueinAmericanschoolsforthepastcoupleyears.Thefirstmajorschool shootingoccurredin1999withtheColumbineHighSchoolshootingtakingplaceinColumbine,Colorado.Just recentlyonSeptember10,2025EvergreenHighSchoolinJeffersonCounty,Coloradowasavictimofashooting. StudentsattheoldestschoolinColoradoSprings,PalmerHighSchool,stagedaprotestoutsideCityHall downtownonSeptember17,2025toprotestagainstschoolshootings.Over200studentsattendedtheprotestto advocateforbettergunlawstobesafeinschool

IinterviewedMichelangelo“Michey”Krewsonwhois17yearsoldandaSenioratPalmerHighSchool.During theprotesthegaveaspeechagainstgunviolenceandplayedamajorroleintheprotestingthatoccurred. “IdonotwanttobeshotIwouldliketobesafeatschool,andIbelieveeveryonehastherighttofeelsafeintheir schools.”MicheystatedwhenIaskedwhatgunviolencematterstohim. Nostudentshouldhavetobeworriedifthey’renotgoingtosurvivetheschooldayornot.Orevencomeoutalive andbreathing.TheseshootingshappenallovertheUnitedStatesandbeyondandaremostcommonlydoneby studentsthemselves

“OneofmyfriendswholivesinOklahoma,hewasapartofashooting,”Micheysayswhenaskedifhe’shadany personalrelationstogunviolenceandschoolshootings.“AndIhaveseentheconstantgunthreatsPalmerhasbeen receivingsinceIwasafreshman”

TheLever

Feelingsaboutbacktoschool

RahafAl-Azzawi,DesignEditor PalmerStudentsProtestOutsideCityHallAgainstGunViolence

Thestartofanewschoolyearisaveryexcitingtime.Forsomepeople,itistheirfirstyearinhighschool,andfor others,itistheirlast.Howdodifferentgradesfeelaboutgoingbacktoschool?

FreshmenwereinterviewedabouthowtheyfeelaboutgoingbacktoschoolthisyearSincethisistheirfirstyearof highschool,themostcommonansweristhatthey'reexcitedforanewchange,seeingnewthings,experiencinganew school,and,themostpopularhaving,offcampuslunch.

Daniela,afreshman,saysthiswhenaskedaboutwhatshe'sexcitedforthisyear,“I'min9thgradesoit'smostlynew experiences,newthingssinceitshighschoolnotmiddleschool,mostschoolsareclosedcampusbutthisschoolisopen campussothat'snewandachange,onethingI'mlookingforwardtothisyearissportsandevents.”

Jalissasays,“Ifeltlikeitsreallydifficultgettingusedtoeverythingbecauseit'sbiggerthatotherschoolsOnemajor thingisthetimeIhadtogetup,like,tobehereatschoolearlyandhowlongtheperiodsareIfeellikethat'sabig change.OnethingI'mlookingforwardtoishavinggoodgrades.”

Sophomoreswerealsointerviewedaboutgoingbacktoschoolthisyear.Consideringthisistheirsecondyearinschool, thereislessgeneralexcitementandbiggeremphasisonacademicperformance.

Willasays,“IthinkIwasprettyexcitedtocomebacktoschoolthisyear.Imean,there'sgoingtobealotoffunstuff happeningthisyearIthinktherenovationisdefinitelyaverymajorchange it'sweirdtocometoschooleveryday andtheentiretechbuildingandcafeteriaisjustgoneThisyearI'mlookingforwardtogettingmoreinvolvedIjust recentlyjoinedPalmer'sSpeechandDebateteam."

Destiniesays,“Iwasmorenervoustocomebacktoschoolbecauseofthesophomoreslump,soIwasverynervous. Like,freshmanyearwe[could]letloose,butthisyearIhavetostudy,getahead,stayontask,thingslikethat.I'mlook forwardtomyclassesnextsemester."