Dear Commons Community,

After negotiations between the Denver Public Schools and the local teachers’ union, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA), failed to reach a new salary agreement on Saturday, the union announced plans for a strike beginning today.

At issue is the school district’s method of awarding bonuses as performance incentives; the union is pushing for lower bonuses and higher, more consistent base pay. “Faced with a smoke-and-mirrors proposal that continues to lack transparency and pushes for failed incentives for some over meaningful base salary for all, the DCTA strike will commence for the schools Denver students deserve,” the union said.

“We’re disappointed that the DCTA walked away from the table,” Denver Public Schools tweeted late Saturday. “We presented an updated proposal that responds to what we have heard from teachers, aligns to our values of equity and retention, honors the ProComp ballot language, and significantly increases the base pay for teachers.”

While Monday classes have been canceled for many preschoolers in the district, most Denver schools will remain open Monday, operated by administrators and substitute teachers.  One report is that some students will stage a walkout to show their support for the teachers.

We wish the  teachers success in their negotiations with the school district.

Tony

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