Teachers union and Sheridan School District reach tentative agreement to end strike

A tentative agreement has been reached to end the longest teachers strike in Colorado in 40 years. It paves the way for teachers in Sheridan School District No. 2 to return to class as early as Monday.

Gov. Jared Polis put pressure on negotiators to get a deal done as the strike was impacting many kids and families across the community in the southern part of the Denver metro area.

It took three weeks for a deal to be reached. During that time, Sheridan educators were on the picket lines outside schools. On Thursday, teachers took their protest inside the Colorado State Capitol. That was after Polis asked for negotiations to be ramped up and for the state to help with the talks. Discussions on Thursday were mediated by Polis' team and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

"Let's... get the teachers back to the classroom, kids back to the classroom and let's finish the year strong. It's hard to make up some of those missing educational hours," said Polis.

Before a deal was reached, Jennifer Alevy, a librarian and social studies teacher at Sheridan High School who has been with the district for 7 years, said she was "willing to stay out and fight as long as it takes."

"It's been really hard, every day, going out there, fighting for what we believe is right," said Alevy.

Sheridan educators have worked without a contract since last August. Their union, Sheridan Educators Association, asked for it to be reinstated.

"What we're asking for is not out of the realm of anything that should be asked for. It's just basic dignity for our employees," said Alevy.

"We want to make sure that everyone is covered by a union, and that's what we want to leave today with," said Romez Lawrence, a janitor of 9 months at Sheridan High School. "It's just been a pretty exhausting experience."

Both Alevy and Larence said they are eager to get back into the classrooms as soon as possible.

Educators claimed they would lose their health benefits at the start of next month if a deal hadn't been reached by then.

"I have to go in tomorrow for a biopsy, and I'm very scared about that, and the amount of money for the bill I just got for that was exorbitant," said Alevy.

"I'm already not making a whole lot of money, so having my health insurance taken away and possibly having to pay out of pocket is just something that worries me a lot," said Lawrence.

The Sheridan School District disputed the fact that teachers will be losing their health benefits at the start of May. The district released a statement saying, "No employee is losing access to healthcare benefits." The district contends that it's been paying for both the employee and employer contributions while teachers have been on strike, and that they intended on paying only the district's share of the cost if the strike would have lasted into next month.

The district also said it was willing to work around the clock to reach an agreement.

According to a news release from Polis' office, the Sheridan Educators Association "is expected to vote to ratify the agreement Friday, and the Sheridan School Board is expected to vote to ratify on Tuesday."

Following the announcement of a deal, the following comments were shared by the governor's office:

"I'm excited to share that both sides have come to an agreement to get kids back in classrooms right away. I urge both sides to officially ratify the agreement quickly to avoid further delay. These students have already missed critical classroom time, and each of them deserves a great education and to be back in school. I appreciate the commitment from both sides to reach a workable solution that best serves the families and students of the district while supporting our educators," said Governor Jared Polis. 

"We are glad that both sides returned to the table to reach an agreement that is good for students and teachers. These kids need to be back in school and now we are one step closer to making that happen. I appreciate all involved for coming together and having the hard conversations to do what is best for students," said Mark Ferrandino, Director of the Office of State Planning and Budget, who led discussions between the two sides today on behalf of the Governor. 

"I want to thank the Governor and staff for their support of the Sheridan School District and SEA during the challenging time. We agree that the highest priority is getting students and teachers back into classrooms as quickly as possible, and we are thankful that both sides have reached an agreement. We share the Governor's urgency in moving forward toward swift ratification to avoid further delays and ensure students return to a stable, consistent learning environment in which each student can thrive," said Dr Gionni Thompson, Superintendent Sheridan School District.

"I am proud to report to the Sheridan community that we have finally achieved an initial agreement between educators and the Sheridan School District Board President and Superintendent. To every Sheridan educator who has been part of this: we have set the standard for what it means to fully enfranchise our community, and to make sure educators can unionize and have the dignity they deserve in their workplace. While this entire process has been incredibly difficult, I want to say unequivocally that the challenge has been worth it. Sheridan will always be a place that gives everyone a chance to succeed. We have shown everyone that big things can happen in a small town. I cannot wait to get back to my classroom and my students," said Kate Biester, President of the Sheridan Educators Association.