(upbeat music) - I'm Starla Sampaco in the Crosscut KCTS 9 newsroom.

The first days of school in several Washington districts including Seattle and Kent were delayed by educator strikes this year.

Better pay for teachers is just one of many points of contention.

The growing responsibilities for teachers and schools could force another statewide reckoning on school funding as districts attempt to cover those costs.

The union that represents Seattle teachers and other educators has called for more nurses as well as student mental health and social worker support at schools, along with higher pay.

The union also wants a guarantee that there will be enough instructional assistance in the classroom.

As the Seattle district considers placing more English language learners and special education students in general education classrooms, teachers are concerned about how the new tasks will affect classroom workloads.

I'm Starla Sampaco.

Find nonprofit Northwest news every day on crosscut.com.

(upbeat music)