DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association reached a tentative agreement on Thursday morning after lengthy negotiations.
The three-year deal will provide teachers with an average annual salary increase of 8.7% and a starting salary of $50,130, DPS said.
The agreement will also add an additional district investment of $2.5 million dollars towards employee benefits, according to DPS.
“We were able to get this work done because we all understand the importance of building trust, focusing on the tasks at hand, and working for the best interest of our scholars,” said Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. “It’s good for our entire community when we can reach these kinds of agreements. This new deal represents teaching and learning continuity for our teachers and our students, something desperately needed as we all work to help our students get back on track after the pandemic.”
Here some other details of the agreement, according to DPS:
- Teachers will get a 45-minute duty-free lunch each day
- 300 minutes of self-directed planning time each week for elementary educators
- 345 minutes per week of planning time for teachers in secondary schools
- DPS will establish a collaborative committee to review and oversee ongoing improvements to the district’s growth and performance systems.
- Educators will be paid for the time they spend participating in various distributed leadership committees.
DCTA told FOX31 Wednesday that the previous starting salary was $45,800 and they were asking for $55,000.