SCRANTON, Pa. — Scranton teachers have been without a contract for five years.
Those five years include some of the most difficult years for education ever.
After a year of virtual learning last school year, parents in the Scranton School District are planning for their kids to be home again.
"Kind of concerns me because I have four kids that are in school. So now I work overnight. So I'm wondering so what the kids are going to do," said parent Nicole Young.
Teachers plan to hit the picket lines on November 3 after a breakdown during contract negotiations.
The teachers' union is fighting for raises and retroactive pay.
But, the district's 2022 budget doesn't include any money for raises.
"I hope it gets better before the 3rd. I was upset because my son really needs it and my nephew Jaden. I think what they're doing, it's not right. I think they should give what they want, the teachers because it's going to affect the kids in the long run," said parent Grace Martinez.
Parents learned of the strike Wednesday morning with a robocall from the district.
Kathleen Malacaria told her daughter Mary Elizabeth Giangrande while the pair were out grocery shopping.
"I'm worried that since I'm getting good grades again, that they're going to go down. And I'm not going to see my friends anymore," said Mary Elizabeth, a 6th grader at South Scranton Intermediate School.
"It's going to put them behind. My one daughter that has an IEP is going to suffer. She doesn't thrive as well if it isn't consistent learning. So, without consistent learning she's going to lose what she has gotten this year from in-person learning," Malacaria added.
The teachers' union is expected to release more information about its strike plan Thursday.
It's unclear whether the union and the school district plan to meet to negotiate again before the strike date of November 3.
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