Children, do you know where your teachers are?

If you're a schoolkid in the state of Washington, and you know your educationist history, sure you do;

According to a news release from the statewide teachers union, 2,600 teachers in eight districts throughout the state have voted to stage one-day walkouts during the final days of the legislative session, scheduled to end April 26. More local unions may decide to join the strikes soon, according to the release from the Washington Education Association.

WEA spokesman Rich Wood said that schools will shut down for the day in those districts where the unions have decided to go on strike.

Inconveniencing how many thousands of children and their parents? Not to mention breaking the law, as it's illegal for public employees to organize strikes in the state. But public employees make campaign contributions and very few school kids do, so ....

Besides, it's something of a tradition now;

In 1990, the WEA announced a one-day strike in which more than 25,000 teachers statewide either skipped work, left early or held rallies to argue for higher salaries and smaller class sizes....

The next year, more than 20,000 teachers statewide went on an extended strike while lawmakers were in session. During the strike, about 13,000 teachers rallied at the Capitol seeking better raises and higher school funding, causing then-governor [Booth] Gardner to send lawmakers home for a seven-week “cooling off” period between legislative sessions.

More recently, teachers unions staged strikes in 1999 to protest salary levels, holding several rallies at the Capitol to ask for a 15 percent pay raise.

Of course, they're only doing it for the children.