St. Paul Teachers Agreement Leaves Out Many Demands

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A new tentative contract agreement between a Minnesota school district and its teachers would increase support staffing for some students and boost teacher wages, but it leaves many of the demands union leaders pushed for at the bargaining table unfulfilled.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports that St. Paul school teachers nearly left their jobs in their fight to lower class sizes, guarantee funding for alternative discipline programs and increase the ranks of non-teacher staff.

But the two-year tentative agreement that union and district leaders have reached gives teachers a one percent pay increase each year on top of scheduled raises for years of experience and education. The agreement also adds 23 paraprofessionals for special education students.

St. Paul teachers' union is scheduled to vote on the agreement on Feb. 22.