Sheridan educators who went on strike April 1 will return to the classroom on Monday after three weeks of picketing and a nearly eight-hour meeting Thursday in Gov. Jared Polis’ office.
Polis, who called the meeting in hopes of getting teachers in Sheridan School District back in front of their students, pressed leaders of the high-poverty district and the local union to work toward an agreement and restore a sense of normalcy for the kids.
The two sides, whose relationship has become increasingly strained, emerged from the bargaining table Thursday evening with an initial resolution that moves them closer toward establishing a teachers contract.
The Sheridan Educators Association on Friday voted to ratify that tentative agreement, which reinstates a teachers contract through December, creates an opportunity for classified staff, such as bus drivers and janitors, to get union recognition and amends district negotiating policies, according to a statement the union released Friday. Both sides have agreed that teachers will be back inside classrooms starting Monday.
The school board will review and vote on the terms of the agreement during a school board meeting on Tuesday, Sheridan Superintendent Gionni Thompson said.
For now, the handshake between district and union officials inches educators closer to the end of the strike, the state’s longest-running teachers strike in at least 45 years. Sheridan teachers plan to continue picketing until a final deal is inked.
“It was a long meeting, but I feel like this was one of the first times we were truly having a conversation that felt fair and collaborative on both sides,” Sheridan Educators Association President Kate Biester told The Colorado Sun immediately after the meeting concluded. “I just think the district finally realized the gravity of our situation and met the energy we had to get back into the classrooms as quickly as possible.”
Thursday’s meeting at the Capitol continued an upswing of momentum from a late-night meeting between district and union representatives Wednesday, Thompson told The Sun.
“We gained a lot of ground last night,” Thompson said Thursday, “and I think today they were able to really bring it home.”
Thompson said the all-day meeting with Polis’ team, which included Mark Ferrandino, the governor’s budget director, carried a “very positive” tone.
“They were amazing,” he said. “I gotta say, the team was very professional. I just want to extend my complete gratitude to them for extending their services to make this come to a possible agreement.”
Discord between district leadership and union members started about a year ago and escalated after the end of July, when the teachers contract expired. Educators have not had an active contract in place all school year. When they launched their strike, the Denver metro district of 924 students canceled classes across its five schools for three days, keeping some schools closed even longer, before reopening them with many substitute teachers in place.
The strife has intensified with each passing week: Parents and students have joined their educators on the picket line during parts of the school day. Multiple attempts to restart negotiations have only resulted in more friction between the district and union, which announced plans to begin the recall process for the district’s four board members. State Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat who represents Sheridan, stepped into the fray with his own solution — potentially consolidating Sheridan School District with another district, such as Denver Public Schools.
And, on Wednesday, the district notified employees they would no longer receive health insurance benefits starting in May. In between rounds of negotiations Thursday, Thompson told The Sun that was a “misunderstanding.” Thompson said the district wanted to notify employees who have not been getting paid while on strike that they could experience a lapse in health insurance benefits if they do not keep up with paying the employee share of their premiums, which often comes directly out of their paycheck.
Kailee Stiles, a spokesperson for the Colorado Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, acknowledged the misunderstanding in a statement Thursday evening, saying it was partially due to “unfortunate timing” of the district’s email.
The union was glad to learn the district “never intended to cause harm to educators in this way,” Stiles wrote in the statement.
The contention finally began to dissipate Thursday as Polis and his team shepherded both sides toward a resolution.
“I think that our educators and our community showed what it’s like to stand up for each other and to fight for what we believe is right for our community,” Biester said, “and I think the district team just finally saw the power our educators and our community have.”
Tearing up, she added that she’s proud of the union’s work and most excited to walk back through her classroom door.
Thompson is just as eager to refill schools with educators, saying now the full focus turns back to students and creating “conducive environments where they can thrive.”
“I’m glad that we’ve come together and we’ve had a good outcome and we can move forward together,” Thompson said, “and work in a positive format to make sure our kids’ needs are met.”