Every one of us will be affected by a strike. It’s not just something for IB students and varsity athletes to be concerned about; we are losing valuable instructional time because teachers can’t come to an agreement with the school district.

Sure, you’ll get to stay home for a couple days, but at what cost? One day is six hours of class time in a school year that already already does not comply with state instructional standards.

This is an issue you should care about. It affects you directly, and it affects every other student in the district just as much. A day of strike means a day without childcare for parents of elementary-aged children. It means a day that PPS high schools forfeit all athletic matches. It means a day without pay for teachers. Most importantly, it’s a day without class that many can’t make up.

Whether or not you are an athlete, IB student, or have an opinion about this issue, you should at least know what’s going on. The largest benefit of the walkout on Feb. 5 was that it encouraged everyone at Lincoln, Wilson, Cleveland, Grant, Jefferson, and Madison to choose whether or not to participate and to think about their opinion on the points of dispute. The main goal of the Lincoln walkout was to educate students and push them into thinking critically about the decisions that affect them.

In my four years at Lincoln, I have seen students debate real-world issues in an educated and articulate manner, and I’ve seen students so dedicated to their opinions on an issue that they are willing to speak out about it in their communities. But, I also see time and time again students who don’t bother educating themselves because they “don’t care” or don’t think it matters.  Contract negotiation is not an issue that should be dismissed by students. I cannot stress enough that no matter which “side” you sympathize with, where you go to school, or what grade you’re in, this will affect you.

Educate yourself. Don’t allow yourself to be tugged along by those in positions of power without forming your own opinion. This is your education, not the district’s or the union’s. Take an interest in your own well-being and decide what you want from the education system.

Students hold a huge amount of power in their communities, but too often it goes to waste because we fear speaking out and taking a stand. Don’t put your education in the hands of others; know what you want from your educational system and let both the district and the union know that you will not be a dormant force any longer.