Denver Teachers Strike Over Base Pay

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NPR

MATTHEW S. SCHWARTZ

Denver schoolteachers are going on strike over how their base pay is calculated. The teachers union and the school district failed to reach an agreement after more than a year of negotiations.

It is the first teachers strike for the city in a quarter-century, and it affects about 71,000 students across 147 schools, Colorado Public Radio reports.

Most public schools will remain open, staffed by hundreds of substitute teachers. Early reports indicated that at least 2,100 of the district's more than 5,000 educators honored the walkout.

Gov. Jared Polis says it will cost about $400,000 a day to keep the schools running during the strike. That's about 1 percent to 2 percent of the budget for the school year if the strike lasts a week, the The Colorado Sun reports.


Denver teachers carry placards as they wait to march after a rally in support of a strike outside the state Capitol last month. Denver schoolteachers are going on strike over how their base pay is calculated.
David Zalubowski/AP

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/11/693416928/denver-teachers-strike-over-base-pay

[OrlandoDem2]

1. In solidarity. I wish we could strike in FL. I suggest avoiding education as a career.

The hundreds of thousands of teachers who have gone on strike the past year cannot be wrong about pay and conditions.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

2. I I love that many students are supporting them

What a great life lesson

[Maxheader]

3. Come on denver...spend some of the pot tax on the teachers salarys...

They are worth it...

[The Truth Is Here]

5. Interestingly enough, the pot taxes are supposed to go into schools.

When I interpret that, I mean invest it into the teachers.

I would support legislation to clarify the purpose of the pot taxes to be funded for teachers for public education. I don't mind paying them!

[OriginalGeek]

7. did they do a switcharoo

like they did with the lottery here in Florida? Lottery money supposed to go to education. It did, but they took away the money education was already getting. Basically no net gain.

As far as I'm concerned public schools and school teachers should be at the top of the priority list with excellent pay and money for the infrastructure that makes schools go.

[3Hotdogs]

4. What is the actual salary range in the district?

[The Truth Is Here]

6. 30k is the average.

You need at least 60k to live comfortably in Denver, single person.

[Aussie105]

8. Sad day

when teachers have to fight for a living wage.

As a beginning teacher in Australia, I was paid enough to afford a mortgage and support a wife and 2 offspring.

But if your government prioritises US boots and guns on the ground in foreign countries, this is going to happen.