More strikes ahead? Teachers say they love their jobs but can’t pay their bills, poll shows
“Teachers love their jobs, but they also say that they have the right, and the reasons, to walk out on them. An exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll of teachers finds an extraordinary level of job satisfaction — if they could pick a career all over again, three of four would still choose teaching — but one that is being battered by broad complaints about the salaries and support they receive. By an overwhelming margin, they agree that public-school teachers have the right to strike. Those attitudes nationwide could set the stage for more walk-outs like the one now underway in Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district. On Saturday in Denver, public-school teachers began voting on whether to strike for the first time in a quarter-century. The teachers’ union and the district have been unable to reach an agreement on teacher pay. Oakland teachers plan to vote on whether to strike this weekend.”