Classes have resumed in the Portland (Oregon) school district after the board and the teachers union reached a tentative contract agreement and ended a strike of more than three weeks.
KPTV-TV reports that the tentative agreement includes a 13.8% cost-of-living salary increase over the next three years, creates new class-size thresholds, increases planning time, and provides additional support for mental and behavioral health.
The district’s 40,000 students have been out of school since the strike began on Nov. 1
The district says the contract will cost roughly $175 million over the next three years.
The Portland Association of Teachers president, Angela Bonilla, said union members are happy with the improvements they were able to secure.
“Educators have won a contract that will have tangible impacts on addressing class sizes and recruiting and retaining quality educators,” Bonilla said.
In a letter to families, Portland School Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero and the school board acknowledged that being out of school has been hard for everyone and said, “We also want to express our deep appreciation for our educators, who are the backbone of our district, and who enrich the lives of our students.”
School board members are scheduled to vote on the tentative agreement on Tuesday. The union said its members also plan to vote on Tuesday.
