Denver teachers reach tentative deal, return to work

DENVER — Denver teachers ended a three-day walkout and returned to their classrooms Thursday, greeted by hugs and high-fives, after their union reached a tentative deal raising their pay as much as 11 percent.

Their win was the latest in a national movement by educators to raise their wages and advocate for changes in schools.

The deal was worked out in talks that lasted through the night and signed shortly before classes started. Teachers were encouraged to return to their classrooms, even though the deal awaits ratification by the union membership.

Susan Mchugh said she was prepared to return to her government and politics class with a lesson plan based on her experience — a discussion about the labor movement and the power of collective bargaining.

“This is just a really good example of what can happen when people join forces together,” she said.

More than half of the district’s 4,725 teachers went on strike Monday after negotiations over pay broke down. The walkout came about a year after West Virginia teachers launched the national “Red4ed” movement with a nine-day strike in which they won 5 percent pay raises.

There have since been walkouts in Washington state, Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Most recently, Los Angeles teachers staged a six-day strike last month. That walkout ended when teachers settled on a 6 percent raise and promises of smaller class sizes and the addition of more nurses and counselors.

In Denver, teachers would get a base pay raise of between 7 and 11 percent in the next school year and cost-of-living increases in the following two years. The deal also would create a pay scale based on experience and education similar to other districts and allow teachers to earn more by completing development courses, not just earning degrees.