Denver Teachers Strike: Schools Open Wednesday; Talks To Continue

DENVER, CO – Both sides on the bargaining table at the Denver teacher's strike agreed to meet again Wednesday morning after many hours of negotiating late into the evening of the second day of the strike. Talks were seen as "productive" between members of the teacher's union and the Denver Public School administrators at the Denver Public Library.

Schools will be open Wednesday, the district said. The DPS staff sent the following letter to parents around 5:30 p.m. after hours of talks.

Dear DPS Families,
We wanted to provide an update on our discussions with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association on reaching a new contract and ending the teacher strike.
The two sides have spent the day at the bargaining table, having productive conversations toward an agreement. The talks are still continuing into the evening, and we will continue to provide you with updates. Please check back on DPS' Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout negotiations tonight, and we'll share an outcome of the meeting as soon as it concludes today.
All DPS schools will be open tomorrow, regardless of the progress of today's negotiations. Preschool (ECE) classes will be canceled again tomorrow if teachers are still on strike. We will notify these families in the event preschool classes resume tomorrow.
We appreciate the work and dedication of the staff all across the city who have been critical to keeping our schools open this week. And we also appreciate the support and understanding of our parents and community members.
We will continue to provide updates as developments occur.

Day two of the strike saw more marching and picketing by teachers outside the district's 160 schools. The district said about 2,600 teachers, more than 50 percent walked out on Day One of the strike.

About 75 percent of students attended school on Tuesday, the district said.

Teachers said they were prepared to continue to strike Wednesday, even as negotiators will still be trying to hammer out a deal.

Related: Denver Teachers Strike Day 2: Talks Continue, As Do Pickets

Related: Crowds And Chaos: Students Describe 1st Day Of Denver Strike

PHOTO: Melanie Asmar/Chalkbeat Union supporters convened at the Denver Public Library as negotiations resumed on the teacher strike’s second day.

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