DENVER, CO – In June, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association reached a Tentative Agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with Denver Public Schools (DPS). This came after several months of negotiations and DPS declaring impasse, which led to bringing a mediator in to help move the bargaining process forward. Following a weeklong voting period, DCTA announced today that its members have ratified the 2025–2028 Collective Bargaining Agreement with over 81 percent of members voting in favor.
“As a democratic, member-led organization, every vote cast reflects our shared commitment to creating better working and learning conditions for Denver’s educators and students,” said Michelle Horwitz, bilingual speech-language pathologist and co-chair of the DCTA Bargaining Team.
“Our union is grounded in our shared values of equal opportunity, professionalism, a just society, partnership, democracy, and collective action. These values have driven our work throughout history, and they will continue to guide us as we move forward.”
Highlights in the New Collective Bargaining Agreement Include:
- A $1,000 annual cost of living increase each year of the agreement each year, along with salary advancements based on years of experience and educational attainment
- A $57,666 starting salary for first-year educators, and a top salary of $124,233 for experienced educators with their doctorate in the 2025-2026 school year.
- A one-time $1000 bonus granted to educators in the 2025-2026 school year.
- A memorandum of understanding to increase educator pay through a potential ballot measure if passed by Denver voters or via a statewide ballot measure in 2025 or 2026.
- Beginning in 2026, the district will work toward maintaining K–5 class sizes at 30 students or fewer, with quarterly reports starting in the 2025–2026 school year to track class sizes and document efforts to reduce overcrowding.
- Language around equity, addressing mental health needs of educators and a workload calculator for our Specialized Service Providers (SSPs) and Special Educators.
While DCTA celebrates the meaningful progress achieved through recent negotiations, leaders recognize that significant challenges remain to be addressed including class sizes, educator workloads, school funding, and affordable healthcare.
“Not every challenge our students and educators face was solved through this process,” said Brian Weaver, 6th grade math teacher and DCTA Bargaining Team co-chair. “We understand that our fight is not over, and together we will continue to build our collective power through our committees, organizing, family and community partnerships, and by taking action at all levels. We are preparing for 2028 contract negotiations now.”
DCTA’s work remains ongoing and rooted in continuing their collective fight for schools Denver students deserve.
“During a time where unions, our communities, and public schools are under attack, we must come together to urgently defend our students, our profession, our families, and our public education system,” said Rob Gould, special education teacher and president of DCTA.
“This means standing up to billionaire-backed private interests by supporting and electing pro-union and pro-public education candidates and ballot measures at every level of government,” Gould added. “It also means working collectively to ‘de-Bruce’ so that schools are no longer forced to operate under restrictive budgets caused by revenue limits.
“Ultimately, we need to secure sustainable school funding sources to help reduce class size caps, adequately staff schools, and ensure pay increases that allow educators to live and thrive in the communities we serve. Doing so will leave DPS with no excuse for failing to invest directly in students and the people who work closest to them.”
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About the Denver Classroom Teachers Association:
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association represents nearly 4,000 educators and specialized service providers in Denver Public Schools. DCTA advocates for fair working conditions, competitive pay, and the resources every student needs to succeed in their neighborhood school.
