MARYSVILLE — After Arlington and Lakewood teachers staged their day of protests April 22, Marysville teachers followed suit May 1, voicing concerns about class sizes, funding for education, excessive testing, health care bargaining rights and cost of living adjustments.

Protestors noted that Washington ranks 47th in class size, even after voters passed Initiative 1351 to reduce class sizes, and added that the state legislature is in contempt of the Supreme Court, by failing to meet the state’s constitutional obligation to fund K-12 education adequately.

Documents disseminated by the Marysville Education Association deemed the current testing environment “toxic” and unsupported by research, and accused the Senate budget of increasing health care costs by eliminating local bargaining over health benefits.

The final point raised by the MEA was the legislature’s failure, for the last seven years, to fund the cost of living adjustment that voters approved in 2001, even as those same legislators voted themselves an 11 percent raise this year.

After a period of collection for the Marysville Community Food Bank, protestors took to State Avenue with signs, as far north as Marysville-Pilchuck High School and as far south as Ebey Waterfront Park.

Among the teachers who joined MEA President Randy Davis was Jim Strickland, of the Life Skills class at M-PHS. Both men were pleased with the turnout.

“Most of our teachers were out there, as well as numerous support staff, parents, and students,” Strickland said. “And almost all of the responses from the community were extremely positive, with lots of honks and thumbs up. I believe that shows that the people of Marysville love their teachers, and understand we need to stand up for our schools and our profession.”

Strickland not only asserted that class sizes, school resources, working conditions and approaches to teaching should be reasonable and sustainable, but he took lawmakers to task for not listening to their constituents.

“The people of our state and our Supreme Court have already spoken,” Strickland said. “Now our legislature needs to make it happen. No excuses.”

“The whole point is that we need to do better for kids,” said Davis, who added that the Washington Education Association has passed a call for statewide action next fall “if movement is not made.” Davis promised that the protest day would be made up later in order to fulfill the teachers’ contractual obligations.