Every APS educator - teachers, social workers, nurses, coaches, diagnosticians, therapists, counselors, and so many more – comes to work every day with the singular focus of educating and supporting our students to the best of our abilities.

We care deeply about our students, we care about our neighborhoods, and our shared community.

Unfortunately, the actions by a few members of the APS Board of Education has jeopardized our ability to best serve our students and provide the educational supports they need and deserve.

Union and District negotiating teams worked in good faith for 5 months, agreeing on changes and additions to our contract that are in the best interest of students and staff. Almost 3,500 educators voted in the ratification election with 98.6% voting YES!

We know that a collaborative partnership between the District and the Union embodies the notion that an educational system based on the involvement of educators in the decision-making process will lead to the highest quality of education.

This partnership envisioned an APS that strengthened support services for students with additional educational needs, prioritized filling our classrooms with strong, high-quality educators, and more collaboration among teachers so that our educational professionals had the time and space to learn from one another.

Despite this, four of the seven members of the APS Board voted to table a vote to ratify our Negotiated Agreement, jeopardizing the positive advances this contract would bring for our students and every educator in APS.