Ridgefield teachers, school district reach tentative deal

By Troy Brynelson (OPB)
Sept. 19, 2022 12:35 a.m.

The teachers’ six-day strike, which halted classes, comes to an end. Classes will resume Monday.

A six-day strike by teachers in Ridgefield, which halted classes while the district and the union representing the teachers hammered out a new contract, appears to be coming to an end.

The Ridgefield Education Association, which represents more than 200 teachers in the district, announced Sunday evening that it had struck a deal with the district shortly after 4 p.m. Classes will resume Monday, the union said in a statement.

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Union co-presidents Elizabeth Stamp and Kara Breuer wrote that teachers and supporters “should all be proud of what we accomplished and what we stood up for: student supports and respect for educators.”

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the many families, community members, union siblings and students who backed us,” they wrote.

The district’s teachers began demonstrating Sept. 9, which canceled classes that day and the entire following week.

In negotiations, union officials said, their final sticking points had been bolstering mental health supports in schools, increasing staffing for special education classes, and developing a better student intervention program.

According to the release, union leaders plan to meet with the union membership Tuesday to share details of the new agreement.

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