Seattle teachers approve one-year contract

Seattle teachers voted on Saturday to approve a new contract for the 2018-2019 school year.

“Our staff are our heroes. They work incredibly hard every day supporting our students and families, and it is the district’s job to support our staff as best we can,” the district wrote on its website.

According to the district, the new contract includes:

• -A competitive pay schedule that honors the work of our current educators and will help us attract and retain new professionals to Seattle Public Schools
• -Increased nurses and preparation time
• -Increased secondary counselors
• -Expansion of school-based race and equity teams, confirming our commitment to eliminating opportunity gaps
• -Enhanced parental leave including for the adoption of a child
• -Enhanced educator professional development and dedicated collaboration time focused on addressing racial and educational inequities
• -An innovative SEA and SPS developed Peer Assistance Review and Professional Growth program to support educator growth and teaching quality
• -Increased professional development for staff and substitute educators
• -Enhanced substitute health care benefits

Teachers and the district reached a tentative agreement on Aug. 31 after three months of negotiations. School started on time last week.

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