Golden – An impasse has been declared in contract talks between the Jefferson County Schools and the Jefferson County Teachers Association.
The two groups made the impasse announcement today after negotiating since January.
The main dispute, according to a school district release, centers around probationary teachers, who are those in their first three years of employment.
The district does not want to be required to renew annual contracts of probationary teachers who are not meeting expectations without going through a grievance process.
The teachers union wants to keep current contract language that gives probationary teachers job protection beyond what is provided by state law.
The next step in contract talks is a fact-finding process in which a mutually agreed-upon representative will weigh evidence from both sides.
While non-binding, the process aims to find solutions that are acceptable to both parties.
