Seattle Schools Could Start Thursday If Teachers OK Deal
The Seattle teachers union and the school district said Tuesday they have reached a tentative contract agreement to end a week-long strike.
The district said its 53,000 students could return to class as soon as Thursday if the deal goes through. Union officials were meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the proposal.
The district said it wasn't releasing details until union members had a chance to review it.
Seattle Education Association President Jonathan Knapp said the deal "signifies a new era" because the union worked with parents to push a progressive agenda.
The union leadership was expected to say later Tuesday whether it would recommend the deal to its membership. The strike would be suspended pending a vote by union members this weekend.
The union said in a statement that members should continue to report to picket locations.
If union leaders approve the deal, teachers could go to school on Wednesday to prep for classes. A school district spokeswoman has said that contracted workers, including bus drivers, might need time to prepare for the new school year.
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Derek Wang
Editor
Derek leads a team of regional correspondents and helps coordinate the news department’s daily coverage. This includes stories from Northwest News Network, a regional public broadcasting collaboration which includes coverage of state government and regional issues in Washington state and Oregon.
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Ann Dornfeld
Reporter
Ann is a reporter on KUOW's Investigations Team. Previously, she covered education stories for KUOW for a decade, with a focus on investigations into racial and socioeconomic inequities.
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