Denver Public Schools teachers "walk-in," claim district isn't honoring raise agreement

On Tuesday morning, some Denver Public Schools teachers hosted a walk-in to class, claiming the district is not holding up its end of an agreement reached in 2022. In the agreement, Denver Classroom Teachers Association members said they are entitled to a 5% cost of living raise. 

Teachers at Denver's South High School walked in before class began for the day. Teachers and staff wore red shirts and carried signs. 

The goal of the walk-in according to the teachers is to call on Denver Public Schools to uphold and honor the DCTA's final agreement made in 2022. The DCTA said the agreement includes compensation for years of experience and education level, plus the cost of living adjustment of 5.2% which the School Finance Act determined. 

"We negotiated a 5.2% cost of living increase. Now they are saying they can't afford it, even though we got the funding for it. We knew we couldn't just wait a couple of weeks and see if they would because DPS likes to rely on our complacency," said Matthew Craig, an English Teacher at Denver South High School. "Today is supposed to be about getting attention and starting the process of getting everything moving, getting out students, our staff, our parents, to start getting involved and after this, we're going to move into going to board meetings and to the superintendent and things like that."

Educators from Montello High School, Thomas Jefferson High School, Abraham Lincoln High School and University Park Elementary School joined teachers and staff from South High School.