DENVER — As Denver Public Schools (DPS) teachers start class on Monday, educators represented by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) will vote on a tentative three-year employment contract with the district.
The agreement outlines a starting salary increase from $55,257 to $57,666 for first-year educators, a $1,000 annual cost of living increase, and salary advancements based on experience and education. The tentative contract also says the district will work toward keeping K-5 classrooms at 30 students or less beginning in 2026 and keep track of workload data for special education teachers and specialized service providers.
Education
Denver Public Schools, teachers union reach tentative agreement on contract
"The teachers working conditions are student learning conditions. And if teachers, the people that are actually the professionals that are working with those students, if they don't have a say in what's happening in their job... then the students aren't going to get their needs met," President of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association Rob Gould said.
Current caseloads for specialized service providers and special educators have reached a provider to student ratio of one to 30 in some cases, which Gould calls unsustainable.
"It's gotten to the point where those educators, they can't do their jobs because they have too many responsibilities," Gould said. "Most of those educators end up doing that work outside of school, on the weekends. That takes a toll on you, and that's why we see so many educators really leaving the profession."
If approved, the contract would take effect on September 1 and last until August 31, 2028.
Denver Public Schools said the tentative agreement "reflects months of collaborative negotiations and demonstrates a shared commitment to improving working conditions for teachers while enhancing the educational experience for all DPS students."
Gould said there is still more work to be done to increase pay as the district remains middle of the ground in starting pay compared to other school districts in the Denver metro area.
"It's a difficult year because of the budget, and we definitely wanted to go further with pay. We're still about fifth or sixth in, you know, starting pay in the metro area. But... this new agreement does offer some, you know, some pay increases for educators," Gould said.
DPS said it's going into the 2025-2026 school year with school staffing at more than 90%, which a spokesperson said is normal this time of year. The school district said more than 400 new educators are coming to the school district this year.
Last school year, DPS closed seven schools and cut grades at three schools in response to declining enrollment. Denver7 asked the school district if teachers at the affected schools were able to transition to new schools this year. A spokesperson for DPS said all staff members at the closed schools were able to find jobs within DPS if they chose to stay with the district, but some decided to go to other districts or other careers.
Senior Manager of Learning and Development at DPS Gerardo Muñoz said the district is working to recruit teachers who have a vested interest in the community.
"The big focus we have right now is growing our teachers from our own Colorado communities. We notice that teachers who come out of the communities have a unique ability to be retained and really commit to the work," Muñoz said.
