Press Release
August 29, 2007
DPS Releases Statement On Conclusion Of Mediation
Denver Public Schools (DPS) announced that a federal mediator declared an unsuccessful conclusion to two days of mediation between the district and the Denver teachers' union in their annual negotiation over salary and benefit increases. The current mediation was the first time the two parties had negotiated since the union declared impasse last May.
"What we need now, more than ever, is for all DPS employees to continue to pull together to improve DPS and the education we provide our kids, said Superintendent Michael Bennet. "We are confident that in time the current dispute will be resolved, and we urge everyone in DPS to keep the focus on Denver's kids. They deserve no less."
"This year, the district's offer would have resulted in a 6.2% increase to the average teacher's salary, including negotiated annual increases for years of experience and a 3.6% cost of living adjustment," said Bennet. "Combined with the settlements over the past three years, Denver's teachers would have received average salary increases of approximately 21.3% between 2004-2008 under the offer. This increase represents more than twice the increase for any other group of DPS employees over the same period. At the same time, DPS remains committed to fully funding its pension, and rising pension costs have caused the district's actual costs for total teacher compensation to increase by over 30% during the last four years."
During the same four year period that the average teacher salary has increased by over 21%, district revenue has increased by only 13%; other DPS bargaining units have seen an average increase of 11.5%; and principals have seen increases of only 8.4%, or just two percent a year. The consumer price index has increased by 7% over the same period.
"Only this year, after five years of painful cuts in which we reduced over $80 million from our approximately $500 million operating budget, have we stabilized our budget," said Bennet. "To be fiscally irresponsible now would make such cuts inevitable this year and again in the future."
"Over the past four years, DPS has prioritized teacher pay increases over all other expenditures, including class size, text books, academic enrichment for our kids, and all other employee groups," said DPS Board President, Theresa Peña. "We believe in our teachers, and regret that, in view of our current financial situation, we cannot do more. We believe the district's offer is absolutely fair."
"Teacher pay is our priority," said Bennet. In the face of $83.5 million in cumulative cuts, the district has:
- Delivered an average cumulative teacher salary increase of 21.3% from 2004-2008;
- Secured $25 million annually from Denver voters in November 2005 to fund ProComp, a groundbreaking teacher compensation system designed in partnership between DCTA and DPS; and
- Directed an additional $3.5 million in unexpected 2005-2006 state funding entirely to teacher salary increases and nothing else.
"As we move to improve student achievement across the school district, we are confident in our ability to tackle the district's structural financial problems over time," said Peña.
For more information, contact the Communications Office at 720-423-3414.