Ann Arbor teachers agree to new contract with Ann Arbor Public Schools

Ann Arbor Public Schools teachers have decided on a new contract after nearly a year of unsuccessful negotiations.

The union representing these teachers, the Ann Arbor Education Association, reached a tentative agreement with the district last week.

Union members accepted the tentative agreement for a new contract with Ann Arbor Public Schools on Friday.

"It does provide some immediate compensation, it provides a little more relief for people with healthcare costs, and it does not include the concessions," said Ann Arbor Education Association President Fred Klein.

The concessions include removing an hour of specials for elementary school students and classes like gym, art and music, giving homeroom teachers more time to plan. The new contract also removed the district's push to increase class size.

Fifty-eight percent of union members who voted accepted the tentative agreement, while 42% still rejected it.

"It didn't have those promises from multi-years from now that would be locked in place, so people knew we would get this percentage of a raise in two years and another one in three years," Klein said.

Klein says the contract will expire at the end of 2027, so he's already preparing to negotiate the union's next contract to hopefully secure some of those longer-term commitments. He says negotiations will resume in the spring.

"We figured this was the best deal we could get at this point in time. We'll start that process over, but this is pretty short-term. It didn't address all the long-term goals we had, so we're going to have to be back at work, and we're going to continue the fight," he said.

In a statement, Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jazz Parks said:

"The Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent acknowledge the ratification of the tentative agreement by members of the Ann Arbor Education Association.

This agreement reflects a comprehensive process that included mediation and sustained engagement by both parties. The resulting contract balances support for educators with the district's obligation to maintain financial stability and continue providing high-quality educational opportunities for all students.

We thank the AAEA bargaining team and district representatives for their diligence and professionalism throughout negotiations, and we appreciate the participation of AAEA members in the ratification process.

We will bring the agreement forward to the Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, September 9 to complete the ratification process. The district looks forward to continued collaboration focused on stability, continuity, and the shared goal of supporting student learning and well-being."

Klein said he needs to wait until the school board ratifies the agreement before going into more detail about the contract's compensation and healthcare-sharing numbers. If the school board ratifies the agreement at its Sept. 9 meeting, the contract will become official.