By Godwinna Koroma-Coker
November 12, 2019
The last two months at DHS have been highly eventful, but also highly stressful. Not because of the term ending, or the college application process, but because of the Dedham Education Association strike. Many students have been curiously asking their teacher’s about information about the strike and how they feel about the results.
Many students were excited to hear of the possible three day weekend, but did not know exactly why. The DEA, led by its president Timothy Dwyer, had been negotiating a new contract for a total of twenty-one months. They had been fighting for salary increases and health insurance, as well as fair policies addressing cell phone use in classrooms and sexual harassment language in the contract.
With no official bargaining meetings taking place since August, the DEA turned to extreme measures and voted for a strike to occur on October 24. Illegal in Massachusetts, this action caused an uproar on social media, accumulating tons of press coverage and tweets from the likes of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden.
Naturally, a common question among students was What does this strike mean for us? When asked about it, many students answered that they were unsure of a lot of the turmoil that had boiled between the DEA and the school administration. Students had noticed the Dedham Public School teachers standing outside the school building on Thursdays wearing bright red t-shirts for the past two years, but never really understood why.
“As a senior, I was a little stressed because I had to meet up with my guidance counselor to finalize my college applications, said senior Jona Fejzaj.
It wasn’t until the week of the strike that students finally got a real sense of what was going on.
Many students showed up and showed out in order to show their support of their Dedham Educators. Many of them known since a young age.
Senior Kara Kilroy has never missed a day of school in her life. From pre-k all the way to her final months attending Dedham Public Schools, Kara has been present and eager to learn.
“Having perfect attendance my whole school career, made tons of conversation between my friends on what I should do if there would be no school was slightly stressful,” she said when asked about her feelings toward the strike. “However, I am glad things worked out for the better, in favor of the teachers, of course, who I have grown to know and love throughout my year at DHS”
"The strike was empowering for the Dedham community,” Fejzaj added. The teachers really showed the people in power that they have a voice, too. “It was an amazing thing."
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