The State Board of Education congratulates the teachers of District of Columbia Public Schools on their new employment contract. The contract is the product of negotiations, ongoing for more than a year, between the Washington Teachers Union and DC Public Schools. Tentatively approved two weeks ago and ratified by union membership today, the contract, which will be in effect for five years, scored major provisions for District teachers, including fair pay raises, more structure breaks and more lesson planning time.

The State Board has been a vocal proponent of a fair contract for teachers throughout negotiations. Last October – and the October prior – the State Board formally urged negotiators to arrive at a fair contract promptly. A major impetus, the State Board said, is elevated teacher workforce attrition in the District in recent years.

Attrition rates describe the percentage of the total teacher workforce that discontinues working in the profession annually. About 1 in 5 District teachers stopped teaching in DC during the 2023-24 school year, according to estimates from the Office of the State Superintendent. Factors that teachers commonly cite as primary drivers of their decisions to leave include burnout, classroom behavior issues and concerns about pay.

“This new contract,” State Board President Eboni-Rose Thompson, Ward 7, said, “is a great show of appreciation for our educators. Investing in our teacher workforce is one of the most powerful steps we can take as a city to give our learners the quality education they need for success. The measures in this contract materially improve our capacity to attract and retain highly skilled, engaged educators to our classrooms.”

The State Board thanks the Washington Teachers Union, DC Public Schools and Mayor Bowser for resolving contract negotiations. As always, the State Board remains committed to working tactically alongside our education community peers to improve teacher retention within the District.