Andover, MA teachers announce agreement to end strike

After three days of schools being closed, an agreement has been reached to end the teacher strike in Andover, Massachusetts.

The tentative deal between the Andover Education Association and the Andover School Committee will see students return to class Wednesday, the district confirmed.

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The union first announced the end of its strike shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday.

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Andover Public Schools said the agreement boosts teachers' contractual increases by 15.5%, and instructional assistants' increases by 34%, over the next four years.

It also guarantees eight weeks of fully paid parental leave with the option to use four more weeks of accrued sick time. Up to 60 days of accrued, paid sick leave can also be used to care for a seriously ill family member, the district said.

Additionally, elementary school teachers will receive increased planning time, extending recess for students.

"We cannot be more grateful for the support we received from community members who understood that our fight was their fight," the Andover Education Association said in a statement. "We worked together to transform tired and flawed ideas about how public schools should be funded in Andover."

As of 5 p.m. there was no official word on a deal between the teachers union and school committee, but for the first time since the start of the strike, the union signaled progress.

"We are pleased that students can get back into the classroom tomorrow morning to continue learning," Tracey Spruce, chair of the Andover School Committee, said in a statment shared by the district. "With this deal, the administration gained important tools to continue strengthening the instructional practices that we know students need to belong, strive, and thrive."

Spruce went on to thank parents and students for their patience.

Throughout the negotiations, the union called for wage increases for teachers and instructional assistance, as well as improved working conditions. The school committee argued that giving the union the contract it wanted would mean layoffs, significant cuts to services and reinstating fees.

"This is not a scare tactic. I know the union believes it is. I wish it were," Andover School Committee Chair Tracey Spruce said Monday. "We simply can't afford it."

School in Andover, Mass., was closed for the third day on Tuesday as teacher continue to strike.

The deal came a day after a judge imposed escalating fines for each day the strike continued. The union was fined $50,000 Monday and was due to owe another $60,000 Tuesday.

About 100 teachers rallied at the Massachusetts State House Tuesday, meeting with local representatives, to try to garner more support for their cause. The Massachusetts Teachers Association joined local union members.

After the deal was reached, the MTA congratulated the Andover teachers.

"The members of the AEA did not waver in achieving their stated goals," the MTA said in a statement. "And because educators were crystal clear about what they wanted, why they wanted it and how much their proposals would cost, they won incredible support from the community."