SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle teachers reached a tentative agreement with the city’s school district as their strike entered its fifth day Tuesday, but they will stay on the picket lines pending its approval.
The sides reached a deal, but it must be approved by the Seattle teachers union’s executive board and representative assembly before the strike can end, Washington Education Association spokesman Rich Wood said Tuesday morning. No details about the terms of the agreement were immediately released.
“We have a tentative agreement with the district! Go to your picket site this morning to learn more!” the Seattle Education Association told its members in a text message Tuesday.
Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman Stacy Howard said the agreement came at 6:50 a.m. following an overnight bargaining session and that the district hoped classes would begin Thursday.
The sides have been negotiating over issues that include teacher pay, evaluations and the length of the school day. The teachers walked out Sept. 9 and delayed the start of the school year for 53,000 students.