DPS Leaders Hopeful For Deal To Avert Teacher Strike
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver teachers are planning for a strike, possibly as early as Monday. That's after Gov. Jared Polis announced he will not intervene.
He urged for negotiations to continue.
"These differences are limited. They're small. We know that there are responsible people on both sides who care about the children of Denver," said Polis.
If a deal isn't reached in the next few days, school on Monday will not be the same.
"It's going to hurt in the short term, but it's going to be more beneficial in the long-term," special education teacher Alexander Edwards said.
Edwards was among a handful of teachers who stood in the snow and cold on Wednesday showing their approval of the governor's decision which brought them one step closer to a strike.
"It's a mix of emotions right now. It's a little nervousness. It will be the first time in my life that I've stepped out to strike. It's also exciting to see we could have a better future for our students," Edwards said.
Despite nearly 15 months of failed discussions, DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova is hopeful a deal will be reached in the next four days.
"It's clear what our timeline looks like and in the event that we are not able to get an agreement, the first day that a strike could potentially happen would be Monday," she said.
While her goal is to avoid a strike, it is an outcome they have to prepare for.
She says should a strike happen, early childhood classes will not be held, but they are working to ensure coverage for everyone else.
"We understand both form previous experience here in Denver and other experiences around the country that it's not going to look like typical school," Cordova said.
There are three gaps in the proposals between the district and the union. As part of the negotiations, DPS has included a proposal that would increase teacher pay by nearly 10 percent. Teachers say it's not enough.
"I want to see my students have the best teachers and hopefully when I have kids, I want to see them have the best teachers as well," Edward said.
LINKS: Denver Classroom Teachers Association | Denver Public Schools Negotiation Updates