DENVER — Education leaders, students and community members discussed the state of schools in northeast Denver and the need for increased teacher compensation on Wednesday evening.
Almost 400 people met at Montbello High School’s auditorium to share their stories Wednesday.
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) and Colorado Industrial Areas Foundation (CO IAF), a broad-based network of schools, congregations, unions and nonprofits, put the assembly together.
Both organizations got commitments from Denver Public Schools board members Jennifer Bacon and Carrie Olson to participate in the upcoming bargaining sessions and to support teachers’ demands for higher compensation.
When asked if they would support the union’s demands for fair compensation, they both said yes.
Bacon told the assembly that she has instructed senior staff to look for ways to support the teachers. Olson said he had made the commitment to not only listen, but act.
Both DPS interim superintendent Ron Cabrera and the next superintendent, Susana Cordova were present at the assembly.
The meeting took place about a month before a potential strike vote for Denver educators, who have been negotiating with the district for more than a year to improve compensation and address the teacher turnover crisis in Denver.
Teachers in Colorado make about 37.1 percent less than other professionals with similar education, and compensation for Denver teachers lags behind nearby districts.
