NPS and NTA reach agreement, ending 11-day Teachers Strike and reopening schools Monday

In separate press conferences on the evening of February 2, the Newton School Committee and Newton Teachers Association (NTA) announced that moments earlier they had reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract that both parties said they are proud of. The School Committee will meet on Saturday at 10AM to ratify the agreement, and the NTA membership is expected to vote for ratification by early next week. The NTA declared that its strike is over, after 11 missed days of school. The School Committee confirmed that schools will reopen on Monday under the tentative agreement.

Both parties spoke of not only the benefits of the agreement but the need for the community to heal after a grueling, disruptive, two-week strike. Many in the community supported the teachers in their strike to provide higher wages and more social workers in the schools, among other demands. Many others decried the illegal strike as unnecessary and disruptive to the lives of students and their families.

NTA Press Conference

NTA members and supporters gathered outside in the rain awaiting the NTA bargaining team’s announcement that a tentative agreement had been reached (see NewTV video). As members cheered on, the mood was celebratory. NTA spokesman Ryan Normadin was the first to speak, saying, “It took 16 months and 15 days of a strike that 98% of the members reluctantly voted for to force Mayor Fuller, Chris Brezski, and their School Committee to understand that Newton educators will not back down from doing what is right for our students, for our schools and for public education.”

He said the the teams agreed to a contract that secures their membership’s key priorities:

• Increased access to mental health supports including social workers; 
• A parental leave policy that guarantees 40 days of paid leave and up to 60 days overall, 
• 15 days of FMLA for educators to care for their families, 
• Higher starting salaries for aides and behavioral therapists “for being the backbone of the NPS”
• Protection for educators’ children to attend the NPS for free 
• No additional duties for teachers, so they can use their prep time to plan and collaborate 

He said, “And I hope that the next time that you walk into a voting booth, you remember how much a difference that people in elected office make. I want you to remember what happens when we have a Mayor and a School Committee who are not willing to fight – for our schools, for our students, our families, our educators – as hard as we are willing to fight for them.”

He then acknowledged the need for healing, saying that he knows that the community will come together to support students, families, and schools. 

NTA President Mike Zilles remarked about “some of the beautiful things that have happened in this strike.” He noted the collaboration, the skills that have been developed, watching members step up to develop a plan on how to talk to students about the strike, and stepping up to organize and lead.

Zilles said, “We are growing in power, and we are cultivating an educational environment here that is unsurpassed and unequaled anywhere in the country right now because of the work you all are doing. We are leaders – educational leaders for our state, for our nation, for our world.”

When asked about the fines that the NTA had incurred, Zilles said they have worked out an arrangement to pay them. Regarding whether there were any radical changes from the contract yesterday to today, he said that one was about social workers: Although there will not be one in every school as the NTA had demanded, Zilles said that the NTA “got a commitment…that mental health supports will be available every day in every school, and we will hold them to that commitment.”

School Committee Press Conference

The School Committee’s press conference (see NewTV video), held in the Education Center after the NTA press conference, was more subdued but full of congratulations, gratitude, and relief.

School Committee Chair Chris Brezski was accompanied by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and all other School Committee members (except Paul Levy, who was not available), plus former Committee member Kathy Shields (who served on the negotiating team with Committee members Tamika Olszewski, Brezski, and Levy), and Superintendent Anna Nolin.

Brezski said:

• “It’s finally over. …This contract reflects our values, including respect for our educators. It reinforces and expands meaningful support for students, meaningfully increased compensation for all our employees, particularly our building and classroom aides, maintains Newton as a leader in benefits, and provides important flexibility for our leaders to strengthen and innovate our system.”
• “This strike has been painful for NPS families and the entire city of Newton. It’s been a long couple of weeks, and probably ones that no one will look on fondly. It’s going to take time for our city to heal, for our schools to heal, and we ask for patience and leadership from all the adults in our community to show our kids how you respond to challenges.”
• “The Committee looks forward to the return of students to classrooms on Monday. For now, we will take a bit of a breath, and then begin the work on ensuring that this never happens again.”

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said:

• “There will be school on Monday, and never did those words mean so much.”
• “We have a brand new Superintendent, and oh my, what a way to start her first six months here in this district! She is extraordinary. Superintendent Nolin navigated this with grace, …helping the School Committee to craft a contract that worked well for her and her vision but while always keeping her broad team of educators and staff top-of-mind.”
• “I know how much NTA President Mike Zilles and his executive board care about their profession and care about the educators and staff of the Newton Public Schools.”
• “We’re all breathing a sigh of relief, …but also, in the coming days, I ask for the help of everyone here in Newton in finding ways to reflect and reconnect, to learn from each other, and to heal.”

Superintendent Anna Nolin thanked the several teams she works with: the School Committee, Central Administration (for their “hundreds and hundreds of hours in the last few  week but also in the last year and a half, predating my tenure”), NTA leadership (“who has a vision for excellence in support for educators that is aligned with my own vision and the best for Newton students”). She added, “And that is my job – the Newton students, and to make sure that our focus on support to them is primary, over any other force that is tossing about the city.”

Dr. Nolin thanked “all the parents for patience during this time,” acknowledging “what a deep disruption this has been to work in family lives.” She said, “The details of the agreement will be shared in the coming days, but I most look forward to the healing we will do as a school community, and I encourage families to continue open communication with our team and the School Committee to make sure we can go forward together.”

To the NPS staff, Dr. Nolin said, “You are our colleagues, you are our educators. You are our dedicated team that makes school happen. That has not changed despite the situation we have experienced over the two weeks. We’re here to support our students, and gladly we are both proud of the contract that now joins us in their support. So let’s commit to unity and healing and ongoing dialog. …I look forward for this learning organization to model for the nation resilience, hope, healing, and growth.”

In response to questions, Mayor Fuller said there will be no layoffs due to the contract, which is “sustainable for the Newton Public Schools and our City.”

Brezski highlighted two essential goals of the School Committee for this new contract: No layoffs and the Superintendent’s Entry Plan, “which is going to hire staff, not cut staff, …reduce our high-school class sizes, …provide incremental supports for our elementary kids, social workers in more buildings.” 

Brezski said, “I think it’s a good deal for both sides. It’s a very competitive contract. Our educators should feel good about it. Our district should feel good about it. This is something that will allow us to provide for our kids.”

Brezski also said, “We did receive some flexibility in how we can manage the school day, and that was a priority.” And Dr. Nolin added, “More importantly, the contract allows for shared union and administration committee work that will determine what the next best steps are together. …We believe in collaboration, and this allows our teachers to have first and foremost say in how we will do our business. …I’m really proud of that work, that allows us to look at mental health needs, …how we staff elementary schools, and that also resulted in additional time for teachers in the future so they will have more preparatory time to serve children.”

Bruce Henderson and Amy Sangiolo contributed reporting for this article.