On June 24, after months of negotiation and the introduction of a mediator, Denver Public Schools and its teachers’ union announced they had reached a tentative agreement for how local educators would be paid and managed for the next three years.

The new contract will affect everything from salaries to class sizes for almost 4,000 union members, starting Sept. 1. It includes a 2.55 percent across-the-board raise, a $1,000 cost-of-living adjustment and a $1,000 bonus for the coming school year. The union says the contract would provide a better learning environment, a safer workspace for teachers and better wages.

But it’s not a done deal yet. The Denver Classroom Teachers Association and DPS still have to convince the union’s members and the school board to approve the new contract — and

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