Portside

Denver teachers have voted to strike in the name of fair wages, marking the first time educators in Colorado’s largest school district have agreed to walk out of their classrooms in 25 years.

The results of voting by the teachers union — the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, which represents about two-thirds of Denver Public Schools’ 5,600 educators — were announced Tuesday night following the culmination of balloting that began on Saturday.

“Tonight, Denver teachers overwhelmingly agreed to strike,” Rob Gould, the union’s lead negotiator, said at a press conference. “Ninety three percent voted to strike. They’re striking for better pay. They’re striking for our profession. And they’re striking for Denver students.”

Contentious negotiations over a new contract governing Denver teachers’ pay scale played out in marathon bargaining sessions over the last two weeks, and stretched back over 14 months. In the end, the district and union were about $8 million apart.

The earliest teachers can leave their classrooms is Monday, meaning educators who intend to hit the streets are still expected to finish out the school week. DPS officials repeatedly have said they will keep schools open, and staffed, during any strike.

“I was hoping and praying it wouldn’t come to this,” said Nik Arnoldi, a visual arts teacher at Escalante-Biggs Academy, after casting his vote in favor of the strike on Tuesday. “I’m worried for my kids, and I hope they’re in good hands, but we need to do this for them.”

DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova, reached by phone after the strike announcement, told The Denver Post she was still hopeful the two sides can find common ground and avert a strike before teachers can begin walking out Monday. Staving off a strike, she said, is in everybody’s best interest.

“I wish it had been a different outcome,” Cordova said. “I remain committed to working with our teachers. Any time there are negotiations, it’s important we continue to see common ground.”

District and union leaders are planning to meet with Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday to discuss next steps. Cordova has said the district will ask Polis to intervene.

When asked if she thought a strike could be prevented before next week, Cordova said she would have a better sense after meeting with the governor.

Statewide teacher activism

The strike vote comes in the wake of massive teacher walkouts last April in which school districts across Colorado — including Denver, Aurora and Cherry Creek — closed their doors while educators rallied at the state Capitol for increased funding to Colorado’s public schools. At least 600,000 students statewide had the day off as districts canceled class while teachers protested.

The vote by Denver’s teachers also comes as their counterparts in Los Angeles agreed to end their first strike in 30 years, after reaching a deal Tuesday for teacher raises and reduced class sizes.

The Los Angeles strike saw a thin staff of administrators and employees teaching the vastly reduced number of students in class. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than two-thirds of students did not show up to school during the first week of the strike.

In Denver, the school district and union have said that in the event of a successful strike vote, both groups would be willing to resume negotiations in an effort to find a resolution before any walkout on Monday.

Otherwise, DPS leaders have promised that schools will remain open in the event of a strike, staffed by substitute teachers and other licensed professionals who normally work outside of classrooms.

The district has said that, in the event of a strike, students would remain safe and learn “high-quality lesson plans” for every grade level and content area. Students with special needs would be prioritized, according to Cordova, as the district ensured vulnerable students would receive coverage “aligned to the requirements in those classrooms.”

On Tuesday night, Cordova said that should the strike go forward, DPS will pay regular substitutes double the daily rate, or $212 a day, and “super subs” — retired teachers — $250 a day. She said district officials also will be attending job fairs aimed at furloughed federal workers in hopes of finding teaching candidates.

Abrupt end to bargaining

The strike vote is the result of 14 months of teacher compensation negotiations between the union and the Denver school district. The final bargaining session came to an abrupt end late Friday night when the union rejected the district’s last proposal, noting that teachers were “done” with offers that didn’t meet their needs and were ready to take to the streets.

Aside from the monetary difference, the union’s plan prioritized offering more opportunities for teachers to move up the pay scale based on credits they earned toward continuing education efforts like advanced degrees and professional development programs offered through the district.

The district’s plan had fewer opportunities to move along the pay scale, but officials argued their proposal started at a higher base salary and put more money toward bonuses for educators who worked at high-poverty schools.

The Denver Classroom Teachers Association represents about 64 percent of educators in the district. Two-thirds of the union’s members had to vote in favor of a strike for the walkout vote to be successful.