Students, Parents Ask City Council to Help Settle Strongsville Teachers' Strike

About 20 students and parents lamented the ongoing teachers' strike at a Strongsville City Council meeting Monday night, saying they have nowhere else to take their concerns.

"The last time I received a proper education was on March 1," said Mathangi Sridharan, a junior at Strongsville High School.

Several parents said they wanted to address the school board, but the board canceled both of its regular meetings in March. The strike started March 4.

A School Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4.

The families spoke mostly about how students -- especially Advanced Placement students at Strongsville High School -- are falling behind on their studies and missing out on services they need.

"We've gone from 'excellent with distinction' to 'good enough with warm bodies,'" one mom said. 

Pam Mullen said her son, a freshman, is "bored and frustrated," and speech therapy for her other kids at Muraski Elementary has not been available since the strike started.

The school district has brought in about 300 substitutes to fill in for the 383 striking teachers, guidance counselors and psychologists.

But students said many subs aren't qualified to teach the classes they have been assigned.

Sridharan told city officials she taught her AP physics class the week before spring break, and other students taught the class before that.

"I'm losing hope every day that our situation is going to be better," she said. "This is a plea for help."

Another high school student said she has been "tense" and "sad" since the strike started.

"If I'm not going to learn, why bother going to school?" another asked.

The students and parents asked City Council members to do whatever they could to convince the Strongsville School Board and teachers' union to resume negotiations.

"They have to come together," parent Ron Schroth said.

Mayor Tom Perciak tried to jump-start negotiations by asking both sides to meet in his office March 22, but the School Board declined the offer. 

The Strongsville Education Association did meet with the mayor, following up with a new proposal that it said cuts $300,000 in requests from its previous contract demands.

The School Board has said the new proposal still would leave the district in the red by as much as $2 million.

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Strongsville Teachers' Strike Week 4: No End in Sight?

For other stories on the teachers' strike, click here.

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