Negotiations between the Denver school district and its teachers have resumed Wednesday as the strike enters its third day.
The Denver Post reports that instead of protest chants filling the bargaining room, teachers clapped and snapped their fingers in approval as district administrators presented their latest proposal.
The district has proposed changes in the ways educators qualify to move up a pay scale throughout their career, and includes language that more closely reflects the union’s stance on professional development units, which are free in-district courses offered to advance teachers’ education.
After district officials went over highlights in their plan, the representatives of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association said they had no further questions — a much different response than what had been tense back-and-forth critique of proposals — and that they needed some time to look it over.
On Tuesday, the two sides called it quits for the night around 11 p.m. after a long day of passing proposals back and forth.
Prior to Tuesday’s resumption of bargaining, the two sides had reached a point where both were proposing the same starting base salary for teachers: $45,800 a year. But other areas of contention remain, namely the district's reliance on bonuses tied to working in high-poverty schools or student achievement.
A sticking point for the union remained the district’s requirement to have educators work for 45 hours outside of the classroom to earn a professional development unit. The union said existing rules allow teachers to count the work they do in school toward those courses.
