Following months of negotiations, Denver Public Schools (DPS) and the Denver School Leaders Association (DSLA) have come to a tentative agreement on a new 3-year contract.
Some highlights of the agreement entered into by DPS and DSLA include:
• A 3-year financial agreement
• 4.5 percent COLA plus steps in year 1
• COLA minus steps in years 2 and 3
• Continuation of the Title 1 stipend
• Expanded tiered enrollment stipend to include both Principals and Assistant Principals
• Creation of a single site administrator stipend
• $1,000 retention bonus for all DSLA members
• $1,000 bonus for leaders who have been in their schools for 5 years or longer.
• Collaborative review and revisions for the school leader evaluation fairness guide.
• Establishing a work group on school and leader safety
“I know that Denver Public Schools is a stronger dis- trict when we are united with DSLA in addressing the challenges that school leaders face,” said DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. “This strong relationship allows us to be able to provide our scholars a better education. And now, by providing these leaders with the state’s highest salary scale, DPS will be able to recruit and retain highly qualified school leaders.”
“We are truly gratified to have been able to collaborate effectively with the district administration throughout this process,” said Moira Coogan, President of DSLA. “During our discussions, it became evident that school leaders face increasingly complex challenges in their roles. We are pleased that DPS not only recognized these challenges but also took steps to address them, not only through fair compensation but also by ensuring that leader protections and voices are duly acknowledged and upheld.”
The new contract will take effect following the DSLA ratification process and DPS Board of Education approval.
