DPS, teachers reach tentative contract

Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 1, 2006 at midnight

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Denver Public Schools and its teachers union announced late Thursday a tentative agreement that provides a 2.7 percent annual cost-of-living increase and helps offset rising health insurance costs.

Perhaps as important as the traditional financial pieces, though, is new contract language that links increases in student enrollment to salary bumps for experienced teachers and gives teachers the chance to create their own school reform plans.

Also, the agreement promises to look at ways to provide more planning time for teachers and to give teachers a chance to weigh in on their bosses - principals - in what is believed to be a first for a Colorado school district.

DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet and Kim Ursetta, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, held a joint news conference at 8:45 p.m., delayed from 6 p.m. so they could fine-tune details.

They used adjectives such as historic and innovative to describe the tentative agreement, which must still be approved by members of the union and the Denver school board.

"I feel incredibly excited about what we were able to do with the negotiating teams on both sides," Bennet said. "We're at a time when lots of things need to be reconsidered. . . . Whether you're on the district side or the labor union side, we've got to find that right path."

He and Ursetta cited several parts of the agreement, such as the link between enrollment and a salary increase for experienced teachers, as evidence of the "aligned self- interest" of the two sides.

Enrollment in DPS has been stagnant in recent years, contributing to budget issues because education funding in Colorado is based on annual student counts. More students mean more money.

Under the terms of the agreement, teachers with more than 13 years of experience would be eligible for up to $1,275 more annually if enrollment increases by 1,000 students over the 67,982 projected for this fall by the district. The amount is prorated so that, for example, an increase of 500 students means those teachers would get $637.50.

"We are very committed to helping the district increase enrollment," Ursetta said.

Another piece of the contract would allow teachers the chance to drive school reform. So-called "leadership teams" - a group of teachers or a group of teachers and a principal - could submit a plan to form a new school within existing buildings. If the school board approved, school staff members would have to work toward implementing the plan. District and union officials have set a goal of 20 such schools for 2007-08.

"We're living in a very competitive marketplace," Bennet said. "We know, as a district and as a labor union, we have to respond to that. We're saying to principals, teachers and others . . . we want your suggestions."

A timeline calls for proposals by October for next fall, with board approval in November. That gives leadership teams time to begin recruiting teachers and students.

Other pieces of the agreement are more exploratory. A task force on professional planning would look at ways to provide more planning time for teachers within the school day. Both Ursetta and DPS Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino have said they want teachers to have more time for data analysis and lesson planning.

Ursetta said the task force, which would begin work by Oct. 1, would look at ideas used elsewhere, such as later starting times on selected days throughout the year in the St. Vrain Valley School District.

Another work group of teachers and principals would examine how teachers could weigh in on principal evaluations. Bennet said DPS already is considering the idea as part of a proposed merit pay plan for principals.

The tentative agreement was reached about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, following three days of negotiations supervised by the same mediator who oversaw Denver's recent RTD strike. Ursetta presented details to about 600 teachers in a late-afternoon meeting Thursday at North High School.

Margaret Bobb, a science teacher at Bruce Randolph School in north Denver, said teachers reacted with "guarded optimism" to the tentative agreement. Union members must vote by 5 p.m. Sept. 11 on the proposal. If they agree, it goes to the school board for approval.

Highlights of proposed pact

Negotiators for Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association reached a tentative agreement Wednesday and hammered out details Thursday. It includes:

• A 2.7 percent cost-of-living increase for all teachers. That means starting salary for a first-year teacher will increase from $33,301 to $34,200.

• An increase in the monthly health benefits allowance from $347.82 to $375 to help offset rising insurance costs.

• Experienced teachers get more if student enrollment increases. Teachers with more than 13 years of experience will get up to $1,275 more if enrollment increases by 1,000 students over district projections this fall.

• Teams of teachers or teachers and principals can submit plans to reform schools. District and union officials set a target of 20 such schools for fall '07.

• A work group of teachers and principals will examine how to add teacher input to principal evaluations.

• A task force will examine how to give teachers more time for planning and data analysis.

Next steps

• Members of the teachers union must vote by 5 p.m. Sept. 11 to ratify the agreement or not. If they do, the agreement goes to the Denver school board for approval.

mitchelln@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5245

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