DENVER, CO – Today, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) and Denver Public Schools (DPS), reached a Tentative Agreement on the DCTA collective bargaining agreement after several months of negotiations, and multiple sessions with a third-party mediator.
DCTA’s key bargaining priorities included competitive pay and benefits, smaller class sizes and sustainable workloads, safe and welcoming schools, and educator rights.
“This agreement was made possible because our members showed up every single week and fought tirelessly to win a contract that respects, pays, and values the amazing work they do to support students every single day,” said Rob Gould, special education teacher and DCTA president. “This process actually began over two years ago when we began extensive listening and input sessions with DCTA members in order to prepare for negotiations. Throughout this process, DCTA members have used their voices to demand better learning conditions for students and better working conditions for educators, because we know that the two cannot be separated.
“We are also incredibly grateful to the students, families, and community members who stood united with us for the schools we all deserve. For months, we brought member concerns and solutions to the table and fought in good faith to make meaningful changes for our students. While we did not get everything that we proposed, this agreement is proof that when we fight together, we win!”
Key Wins in theTentative Agreement Include:
- A $1,000 annual cost of living increase, 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 memorandum of understanding to increase educator pay through a potential ballot measure if passed by Denver voters 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 (SSP) and Special Educators.
“This tentative agreement is an important step forward in addressing the ongoing issue of overcrowded classrooms and unsustainable workloads,” said Michelle Horwitz, speech language pathologist.
“We won new transparency measures that will empower educators, families, and community members to better understand and advocate around class size challenges.” said Brian Weaver, 6th grade math teacher and DCTA Bargaining Team co-chair.
As a democratic, member-led organization, DCTA believes in the power of collective decision-making. This tentative agreement must be ratified by a majority vote of DCTA members before a final and formal agreement is made. All DCTA members will have the opportunity to review the proposed changes in detail. If the agreement is ratified by both the DCTA and the DPS Board of Education, it will go into effect beginning September 1, 2025 and remain in place through August 31, 2028.
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For press inquiries, please contact Angelina Reed, DCTA Communications Director via email at AReed@coloradoea.org or 720-663-7618.
