In Seattle, Washington, about 6,000 teachers and other public school workers went on strike Wednesday morning, just as classes were set to begin for some 50,000 students. The teachers’ union is demanding smaller caseloads for both students and teachers, better salaries and more resources for special education and English-language learners.

Jessica Powell: “We don’t want to be out here. We want to be in our building with our students. We miss our kids. We were hoping for a great start to the year.”

Douglas Austin III: “What they’re trying to do is cut the special education and then not offer any, you know — and put the kids in regular, what are called general education classes.”