Ron Ruggiero, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 105, speaks to striking Denver teachers during a strike rally on the west steps of the State Capitol Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, in Denver. The strike is the first for teachers in Denver since 1994 and centers on base pay. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER – The Latest on the Denver teacher strike (all times local):
3:30 p.m.
The head of the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers union, is telling striking Denver teachers they will prevail in their fight for better pay.
Lily Eskelsen Garcia told several thousand rallying teachers and supporters at the state Capitol that theirs is the latest in a struggle that's included teacher actions in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona and, most recently, Los Angeles.
Denver teachers went on strike Monday to demand a better base pay system with less emphasis on frequently confusing bonuses.
The superintendent of Denver schools says talks over a pay dispute that led to a teacher strike will resume Tuesday.
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12:15 p.m.
The superintendent of Denver schools says talks over a pay dispute that led to a teacher strike will resume Tuesday.
Susana Cordova said she saw a range of effects at schools when teachers went on strike Monday.
Schools remained open Monday and district officials have said administrators and substitute teachers will staff them.
Cordova said students at schools she visited were working in classrooms, overseen by adults. She acknowledged reports of students dancing and chanting in the hallways of one high school before walking out.
She said district officials reported that the school was calm by early afternoon.
Cordova says the district will review that plan for individual schools each day. She says she is hopeful the district and teachers union can come to an agreement quickly.
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11:05 a.m.
Denver teachers are getting public support as they begin a strike for higher pay that is less reliant on bonuses.
After picketing outside schools Monday, hundreds of teachers joined members of other unions and at least some students for a march that took them down busy streets and past City Hall.
Police held traffic as the group crossed intersections.
Many drivers honked in support and used their cellphones to capture the moment. Onlookers also watched from nearby offices or the sidewalk.
According to the district, more than 2,100 of about 4,000 teachers had called in absent Monday.
Schools remained open and district officials have said administrators and substitute teachers will staff them. Classes for 5,000 preschool children have been canceled.
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10:52 a.m.
Denver school officials say more than 2,100 teachers have called in absent as educators went on strike.
According to district data, that's about half of the teachers employed.
Teachers began picketing Monday before the start of the school day after failing to reach a deal with administrators on pay. Students have joined in the protests outside several schools.
The Denver walkout joins a wave of teacher activism in the U.S. since last spring, when teachers walked off the job in West Virginia. Last month, Los Angeles teachers walked out for six days.
Denver schools remained open Monday and district officials have said administrators and substitute teachers will staff them. Classes for 5,000 preschool children were canceled.
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10:10 a.m.
A leading Colorado lawmaker says Denver's teachers strike underscores the need to boost funding of public schools across the state.
House Majority Leader Alec Garnett said Monday lawmakers must find a way to fix conflicting laws that restrict state K-12 spending by hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
The Democrat also says school districts must do a better job at ensuring tax dollars go to the classroom and not administrative overhead.
Denver teachers went on strike Monday after failing to reach a deal with administrators on pay.
Garnett says he met with both sides over the weekend and that they were "super-close" to a deal.
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7:45 a.m.
Denver teachers have gone on strike after failing to reach a deal with administrators on pay.
Teachers started the strike Monday.
The school district says schools will remain open during the strike and will be staffed by administrators and substitute teachers.
However, the district has canceled classes for 5,000 pre-school children because it doesn't have the staff to take care of them.
It's the latest action in a wave of teacher activism since last spring, when teachers walked off the job in West Virginia.
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7 a.m.
Denver teachers say they will strike Monday after failing to win an agreement on pay.
Both sides met Saturday in a final attempt to reach a new contract after over a year of negotiations. They are expected to sit down at the bargaining table again Tuesday.
Teachers plan to picket schools around the city starting Monday. The district says schools will remain open during the strike and will be staffed by administrators and substitute teachers.
However, the district has canceled classes for 5,000 preschool children because it doesn't have the staff to take care of them.
The teachers' union says 93 percent of participating members backed a strike in a vote last month.
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10:20 p.m.
Denver teachers are planning to strike Monday for the first time in 25 years after failed negotiations with the school district over base pay.
The teachers union and Denver Public Schools met Saturday in an attempt to reach a new contract after more than a year of negotiations, but both sides left disappointed.
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association released a statement after the meeting saying the district's proposal lacks transparency and "pushes for failed incentives for some over meaningful base salary for all."
Meanwhile, schools Superintendent Susana Cordova said she was "extremely disappointed" that the union walked away from the table instead of continuing to work toward an agreement.
Teachers plan to picket around the city beginning Monday as the district tries to keep schools open by staffing them with administrators and substitutes. The district has canceled classes for about 5,000 preschoolers because it doesn't have the staff to take care of them.
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