WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:01:51.0280000" NOTE recognizability:0.849 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.640 At noon just before the NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:01.640 --> 00:00:02.952 school school day today, NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:04.796 the Washington Teachers Union rallied in NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:04.796 --> 00:00:07.470 Ward 8 to show support for its teachers. NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:07.470 --> 00:00:09.493 The Union and the city have been NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:09.493 --> 00:00:11.504 at odds over new contract over NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:11.504 --> 00:00:12.936 the last three years. NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:12.940 --> 00:00:14.550 Still, they have no agreement, NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:14.550 --> 00:00:16.476 and teacher morale continues to plummet. NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:18.928 Matt Gregory has more. NOTE Confidence: 0.8592798 00:00:18.930 --> 00:00:19.580 These teachers NOTE Confidence: 0.8534917 00:00:19.580 --> 00:00:20.884 started their day protesting. NOTE Confidence: 0.8534917 00:00:20.884 --> 00:00:22.840 Their demands are a new contract, NOTE Confidence: 0.8534917 00:00:22.840 --> 00:00:25.115 the first in three years with DCPS, NOTE Confidence: 0.8534917 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.296 and they want one. NOTE Confidence: 0.8534917 00:00:26.296 --> 00:00:28.486 They say that reflects the issues they NOTE Confidence: 0.8534917 00:00:28.486 --> 00:00:30.670 face economically and in the classrooms. NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.730 Why do we want it? NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:35.730 --> 00:00:37.426 Instead of morning announcements, NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:37.426 --> 00:00:38.698 teachers need contracts. NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:38.700 --> 00:00:41.322 The Washington Teachers Union did morning NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:41.322 --> 00:00:43.800 messages outside the Anacostia Metro stop. NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:43.800 --> 00:00:45.905 Educators and parents picketed and NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:45.905 --> 00:00:48.500 chanted to raise awareness about the NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:48.500 --> 00:00:51.030 education situation in the district. Our NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:51.030 --> 00:00:53.580 teachers haven't had a contract for NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:53.580 --> 00:00:56.130 three years, Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, the NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:57.405 Union president, says. NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:57.405 --> 00:00:59.530 The signs say it all. NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:00:59.530 --> 00:01:00.865 Teachers feel underpaid, NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:01:00.865 --> 00:01:02.200 overworked and overstressed. NOTE Confidence: 0.80301857 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:03.220 We all know NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:03.220 --> 00:01:04.925 that good working conditions make NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:04.925 --> 00:01:06.630 for great learning conditions and NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:06.688 --> 00:01:08.318 great outcomes for our teachers, NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:08.320 --> 00:01:10.020 for and for our students. NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:10.020 --> 00:01:12.060 So why haven't the Union and NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:13.420 DCPS reached an agreement? NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:15.120 Pogue Lyons says it comes NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:16.820 down to pay and working NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:16.820 --> 00:01:18.180 conditions like class size, NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:18.180 --> 00:01:19.880 just to name a few. NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:19.880 --> 00:01:21.224 The result? No contract. NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:21.224 --> 00:01:23.960 And the mayor says that she wants this NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:23.960 --> 00:01:26.000 to be a city for educators. NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.380 We agree, but we need more action NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:28.380 --> 00:01:30.420 rather than words. But instead of NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:32.550 striking, these teachers spent the morning. NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:32.550 --> 00:01:35.850 Educating on the situation inside the NOTE Confidence: 0.8641825 00:01:35.850 --> 00:01:39.150 classrooms in Anacostia. Matt Gregory, WS9. NOTE Confidence: 0.8769512 00:01:40.230 --> 00:01:42.078 We reached out to DCPS to get their NOTE Confidence: 0.8769512 00:01:42.078 --> 00:01:44.290 side of the contract negotiations. They NOTE Confidence: 0.8769512 00:01:44.290 --> 00:01:46.320 have yet to respond. When they do, NOTE Confidence: 0.8769512 00:01:46.320 --> 00:01:48.512 we'll be sure to update this story both NOTE Confidence: 0.8769512 00:01:48.512 --> 00:01:51.028 on air and online on our website, ws9.com.