The Portland Board of Public Education and Portland Education Association, the union representing the school district’s teachers, have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.

The details of the collective bargaining agreement won’t be publicly available until after the association has an opportunity to brief its members on contract details after teachers return to school Aug. 26, according to a news release from Portland Public Schools.

The number of teachers in the district and membership in the union was not immediately available Tuesday afternoon.

Teachers will vote on the contract in early September, and once ratified the school board will be asked to formally approve the contract. A vote is expected at one of the board’s meetings this fall.

“I am thrilled that we reached an agreement well ahead of the start of the school year,” Portland Superintendent Xavier Botana said in the release. “I am grateful that the board and association prioritized working together to achieve a workable agreement that will allow us to focus on achieving the Portland Promise.”

The Portland Promise, approved in March 2017 as the district’s strategic plan, set five-year goals for achieving success in four areas: achievement, whole student, equity and people.

“This board strongly supports our teachers,” school board Chair Roberto Rodriguez said. “We found much common ground with the association and are grateful to come to an agreement that we firmly believe will lead to better educational outcomes for Portland students, while furthering the ‘people’ goal in the Portland Promise.”

Union President Caroline Foster also praised the agreement, saying in the release, “PEA members will be able to start the school year with a sense of stability and continuity as a result of this agreement.

“This creates an environment in which we can focus on our most important work: providing the best education possible for Portland’s students. The association looks forward to continued collaboration with the board and with other stakeholders toward this goal.”

The Portland Education Association’s current three-year contract with the board covers the period from Aug. 26, 2016 to Aug. 25, 2019. The new contract will run from Aug. 26, 2019 to Aug. 25, 2022.

Rachel Ohm — 207-791-6388

rohm@pressherald.com 

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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