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Show Schools Resume After Monday Teacher Strike M Students and teachers were back W in classrooms in Garfield County Tuesday after Monday's walkout that saw teachers throughout the Estate refuse to be in their classrooms. class-rooms. Despite the governor's Sunday evening press conference emphasiz- ing his stand that he supports J teacher demands but feels that a (strike was inappropriate and promising that a substantial amount of the remaining surplus, about $185, will go to education, f a teachers statewide followed through BMonday with their threat to walk Ijout. k . Locally, Garfield Education As-I As-I f sociauon president Debbie Pollock L lsaid, "We don't have maps and other 'materials for students. We have outdated books and critical building needs. The Governor has promised for six years that he will give surplus sur-plus funds to education and hasn't. It's like a slap in the face." Pollock said that UEA leaders in Salt Lake City called all local union presidents about 4 p.m. Friday, Fri-day, selling up a meeting in Salt Lake City for Saturday morning. Of the state's 40 districts, presidents from only four were unable to attend. Pollock said she and three others from southern Utah counties were included in the meeting via conference telephone. She said voting vot-ing was unanimous in favor of the walkout. Members of the Garfield County Board of Education did not hold a meeting but worked directly with Pollock through Superintendent Phillip Blais and Board President Ray Englestead. Generally, board members did not oppose the walkout, walk-out, agreeing that if the state provided pro-vided the district with more money, it could pay the district's teachers more as well as meet other district needs. The question of the teachers' contract being with the Garfield School District rather than with the Governor or with the UEA was raised in some quarters. Board members acknowledged that they will have to deal with the missed day of school since state law requires 180 days in class. Pollock said that Governor Bangerter's "cavalier" attitude in suggesting that teachers "take an aspirin and go home" especially angered teachers who see their cause as valid and serious. Pollock said that Garfield County Coun-ty teachers met in Bryce Valley at 7 p.m. Saturday and in Panguitch at 9 p.m., with only seven out of the district's 64 teachers voting against the walkout and one non-union teacher voting in favor. She said at least 75 percent of teachers attended the meetings and missing teachers were contacted by telephone for their vote or counted in favor based upon earlier conversations. Pollock, who participated on the committee that interviewed prospective new teachers for the district, said there were at least 20 interviewed who would have liked to teach in the district but could not afford to take the low salary offered. Monday's walkout impacted some 20,000 other education employees em-ployees and over 450,000 students throughout the state. |