Details released on tentative CPS-CTU contract agreement

CHICAGO - The Chicago Teachers Union bargaining team has voted to approve a tentative contract agreement with Chicago Public Schools, marking a significant step toward finalizing a deal after months of negotiations.

What we know:

CTU’s "big bargaining team" and executive board voted in favor of the proposed settlement Monday evening.

The agreement now moves to the union’s House of Delegates for a vote. If approved there, the full CTU membership then votes before the Chicago Board of Education has the final say.

Tentative contract details

The proposed four-year contract includes an overall pay raise of at least 16% for all teachers, with annual increases between 4% and 8.5%, plus step increases based on years of service.

The starting salary for new teachers will rise to nearly $69,000, while the median CPS teacher will make over $98,000 by fiscal year 2026.

Other key provisions include:

• Class Size Limits: Kindergarten capped at 25 students, grades 1-3 at 28 students, grades 4-8 at 30 students, and high school classes between 29-31 students. CPS will increase funding for additional teachers and aides to help manage larger classes.
• Teacher Prep Time: Elementary school teachers will receive 10 additional minutes of daily planning time, bringing the total to 350 minutes per week. Additional professional development days will be restructured to provide more teacher-directed prep time.
• Expanded Benefits: CPS will provide 100% tuition reimbursement for up to 300 teachers seeking bilingual or English as a Second Language endorsements. The district will also expand medical and dental benefits for employees making under $90,000, increase coverage for therapies, and guarantee access to abortion coverage, infertility treatments, and gender-affirming care.
• Student and School Resources: The district will triple funding for athletics, add teacher assistants to all general education pre-K classrooms, increase funding for fine arts education, and expand the number of "sustainable community schools" from 20 to 70.

What they're saying:

CPS officials say the agreement was negotiated with budget constraints in mind while still prioritizing educators and students.

"We made sure that this agreement respects the hard work of our talented educators and reflects what’s best for students," CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a statement.

What's next:

The CTU House of Delegates will vote on the agreement Wednesday.

If approved, it will move to a full membership vote for final ratification before heading to the Chicago Board of Education for approval.

If passed at all levels, the contract will be in effect through the 2028-29 school year.

CTU officials will discuss details of the tentative agreement at a news conference on Tuesday morning.

Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have not yet publicly commented on the agreement since the approval vote by CTU's bargaining team.

The other side:

Democratic state Rep. Curtis Tarver has introduced legislation that would place the Illinois Finance Authority in control of CPS, arguing that the district’s financial challenges are not being adequately addressed.

"This is not new precedent. This happened in the past when CPS was borrowing to the hilt and unable to balance its books that’s responsible to taxpayers and most importantly to students who attend those schools," said Tarver.

A state takeover would be controversial and remains a long shot, but Tarver said he wants to hold hearings and bring stakeholders to testify.

"A lot of individuals profess to care about children. A bill like this will allow us to tell if it's really about the children as opposed to the adults in the room," Tarver said.