Agreement is ratified.

Our Agreement was ratified this evening as follows:

There were 1877 total votes cast.
Accept: 1454 (77.5%)
Reject: 423 (22.5%)
Abstentions: 1


As I was answering press calls tonight, I was asked, "Aren't you relieved?"... Yes and No.

Yes, I do believe that this is the best agreement that we could get for our members, and know that our team worked really hard.

No, the hard work begins in its implementation. We still have a lot of work to do, and will begin training our leaders this Friday on the new provisions of the Agreement.

Our goal is simple; increase student achievement. Now, we have some meaningful vehicles to discuss and collaborate on strategies to make that happen through planning, professional development, and school culture. We have an opportunity to pave a new path in Colorado for teacher induction, mentoring, and support.

This round of negotiations was the most grueling I've ever been through. Hopefully, implementation will be a much smoother ride.