Denver Public Schools teachers hold walkout, call for pay allegedly owed by the district

DENVER — As the final bell rang Friday afternoon, teachers at Abraham Lincoln High School lined Federal Boulevard to make sure their voices were heard, chanting “C-O-L-A, give us our pay!”

The Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) claims Denver Public Schools (DPS) is not upholding a contract agreed to in 2022, particularly regarding a cost of living increase.

“They are shorting us a 3.14% of the cost of living [raise],” said teacher Dez Baldonado.

The district said that for the past two years, teachers have been paid a 5.2% cost of living adjustment. However, because funding requirements were not met, teachers are only receiving a 2.06% cost of living adjustment this year.

Those rallying outside the high school said Friday that’s not what they agreed to when the contract was negotiated.

Baldonado has been teaching for more than two decades. She said she and her colleagues are living up to their end of the bargain, but the district is not.

“This is such a high inflation area. We want to live where we are teaching,” she explained.

Union representative Ashley Nesladek said without the full cost of living adjustment teachers were promised, it’s forced her to choose between her love of teaching and exploring other career options.

“It makes it so we’re in this situation where we’re making a decision between doing what we really, really love to do and being able to put food on the table,” said Nesladek.

A spokesperson for Denver Public Schools said in a statement, “The district will continue to honor the negotiated August 2022 collective bargaining agreement,” adding it’s not up to the district but the state to set funding requirements. The contract states if the

“We just want what is owed to us. We want him to honor the contract,” said Baldonado, referring to DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero.