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U.S. NEWS Monday 11 February 2019
Denver teachers prepare to strike

By THOMAS PEIPERT
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) — Denver
teachers are planning
to strike Monday for the
first time in 25 years after
failed negotiations with the
school district over base
pay.
The teachers union and
Denver Public Schools met
Saturday in an attempt to
reach a new contract after
more than a year of nego-
tiations, but both sides left
disappointed.
The Denver Classroom
Teachers Association re-
leased a statement after
the meeting saying the dis-
trict's proposal lacks trans-
parency and "pushes for
failed incentives for some
over meaningful base sal- In this Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, file photo, teachers from the Denver Public Schools carry plac-
ary for all." ards as they wait to march after a rally in support of a strike outside the State Capitol in Denver.
"We will strike Monday for Associated Press
our students and for our
profession, and perhaps for better overall salaries, pay, which critics say en- ority by the district.
then DPS will get the mes- while administrators say the courages high turnover Gov. Jared Polis decided
sage and return to the bar- bonuses are necessary to and hurts students. Both Wednesday against inter-
gaining table with a serious boost the academic per- sides have agreed to get vening to stop the strike
proposal aimed at solving formance of poor and mi- rid of that provision but but said he may step in if
the teacher turnover cri- nority students. disagree about how big it drags on. It's expected
sis in Denver," said Henry Bonuses paid to teachers the bonuses should be for to cost about $400,000 a
Roman, president of the with more than 14 years teachers working in high- day to keep schools oper-
teachers union. of experience do not be- poverty schools and in ating with substitutes and
Meanwhile, schools Super- come part of their base schools deemed a high pri- administrators.q
intendent Susana Cordova
said she was "extremely dis-
appointed" that the union
walked away from the ta-
ble instead of continuing
to work toward an agree-
ment.
"We presented an updat-
ed proposal that responds
to what we heard from our
teachers, aligns to our val-
ues of equity and retention
... and significantly increas-
es the base pay for all of
our educators," Cordova
said.
Teachers plan to picket
around the city beginning
Monday as the district tries
to keep schools open by
staffing them with admin-
istrators and substitutes.
The district has canceled
classes for about 5,000
preschoolers because it
doesn't have the staff to
take care of them.
The two sides disagree
about pay increases and
bonuses for teachers in
high-poverty schools and
other schools that the dis-
trict considers a priority.
Teachers want lower bo-
nuses to free up money