This week, the members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association voted to strike as soon as Jan. 28. 93 percent of the teachers voted yes to a tentative strike plan.  Denver Public Schools announced that during this period of protest the schools will remain open with the help of an increased pay rate incentive for substitute teachers. However, it was also announced that the schools would be closed if a lack of staff became a safety issue.

According to NPR News, this urge to strike is a result of a “pay incentive system,” in which teachers working in high-need areas of the district receive bonuses on their salaries. The union leaders believe that this keeps the teacher salary base for Denver Public Schools at a lower level than it should be.

The union is pushing the strike to advocate for the elimination of incentive bonuses, the increase of the lowest salaries in their public schools and for more pay incentives aimed at teachers with higher levels of education and training. Much of the administration at these schools on strike believes that if these guidelines are met, the district will attract a higher level of experienced and determined teachers to meet the needs of their students.

The U. S. has seen an influx of teacher strikes and walkouts since early last year, with most demands only being partially met by their respective states or not met at all. The Denver Public Schools teacher strike will be an ongoing negotiation between the district and the administration over the next couple of weeks with no end in sight so far.