The and the union representing its educators reached a tentative deal Thursday night to end the longest teachers strike in recent Colorado history.
The Sheridan Educators Association and district administrators spent the day negotiating at the state Capitol after being summoned by Gov. Jared Polis, who had been imploring the two sides to end their 22-day contract stalemate.
Thursday’s negotiations were mediated by Polis’ staff and representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
Full details of the agreement were not announced, but the union said the district had met its demands to reinstate its contract, create a path to recognize classified staff and put “an end to the retaliatory and restrictive policies that have caused instability in our schools.”
“To every Sheridan educator who has been part of this: We have set the standard for what it means to fully enfranchise our community, and to make sure educators can unionize and have the dignity they deserve in their workplace,” said Kate Biester, president of the Sheridan Educators Association. “While this entire process has been incredibly difficult, I want to say unequivocally that the challenge has been worth it.”
The governor’s office said the Sheridan Educators Association’s membership was expected to vote to ratify the agreement Friday, and the Sheridan School Board would vote on the agreement Tuesday. The union said teachers would return to the classroom once the agreement is fully ratified.
“We share the governor’s urgency in moving forward toward swift ratification to avoid further delays and ensure students return to a stable, consistent learning environment in which each student can thrive,” said Dr. Gionni Thompson, the Sheridan School District’s superintendent.
District officials and union representatives met in the state Capitol for hours Thursday to try to end their three-week deadlock, which began April 1when nearly 100 school employees went on strike after the union accused district leaders of refusing to both reinstate the Sheridan Educators Association’s collective bargaining agreement and recognize classified employees as union members.
The walkout was Colorado’s longest teachers strike in at least 45 years: It lasted for 17 working days and prompted several statements from Polis urging the two sides to reach a deal.
The strike closed schools during the first few days, but the districtap five campuses had since reopened — though union representatives have said few students returned to school.
After the union rejected a Monday offer from the district and the strike continued, Polis on Wednesday asked both sides to meet in his offices Thursday morning, and he told reporters in the early afternoon that talks were still ongoing. They continued until the early evening, ending a few hours before the deal was announced.
“I urge both sides to officially ratify the agreement quickly to avoid further delay,” Polis said in a statement Thursday night. “These students have already missed critical classroom time, and each of them deserves a great education and to be back in school. I appreciate the commitment from both sides to reach a workable solution that best serves the families and students of the district while supporting our educators.”
The stalemate also imperiled the future of the entire district: The lawmaker who represents Sheridan schools, state Sen. Jeff Bridges, said this week that he was drafting legislation to combine the district with Denver Public Schools out of frustration with Sheridan leaders. It was not immediately clear if the deal announced Thursday impacts Bridges’ plans.
Tensions had also escalated between the union and the district: Union officials said they would support Bridges’ bill if community members also backed it, and the association also announced plans to seek the recall of the district’s elected board members.
