Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association have reached a tentative agreement after a "marathon bargaining session of over 18 hours." The agreement is on a new collective bargaining agreement that will last three years. 

The agreement comes after weeks of negotiations between the teachers' union and the largest school district in Colorado over pay, benefits, and class sizes.

"We are proud to have reached what we feel is a fair and forward-looking agreement that honors the critical work our teachers do every day," said Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, in a statement. "This tentative contract supports our educators, strengthens our schools, and ultimately benefits the students and families we serve."

The three-year contract will include a 7.88% (average) salary increase with a $1,000 cost-of-living adjustment increase and a one-time compensation payment of $1,000 for the first year. For the second year, there will be a 4.15% average salary increase and the third year will be a 4.15% average salary increase.

"This agreement was made possible because our members showed up every single week and fought tirelessly to win a contract that respects, pays, and values the amazing work they do to support students every single day," said Rob Gould, special education teacher and DCTA president, in a statement. "This process actually began over two years ago when we began extensive listening and input sessions with DCTA members in order to prepare for negotiations. Throughout this process, DCTA members have used their voices to demand better learning conditions for students and better working conditions for educators, because we know that the two cannot be separated."

According to DPS, beginning the next school year, 2025-2026, the district will take measures to address oversized classes and keep within the 30-student target. 

And for the 2026-2027 school year, the district will target to have class sizes of 30 or fewer students in grades K-5 and "make reasonable efforts to reduce oversized classes. 

"This tentative agreement is an important step forward in addressing the ongoing issue of overcrowded classrooms and unsustainable workloads," said Michelle Horwitz, speech language pathologist, in a statement. 

"Both sides moved a long way in a short period of time to come to this agreement," said Executive Director of Labor and Employee Relations Lawrence Garcia in a statement. "This was completed through the collaborative effort of teams from both DPS and DCTA, along with the work of the arbiter."

The agreement will be presented to DCTA members for a ratification vote. Once that passes, the contract will go before the Denver Public Schools Board of Education for final ratification.