(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Educators in Colorado Springs School District 11 (D11) are set to go on strike on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The District’s Board of Education is emphasizing its continued focus on students and learning, despite the strike.
The Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA) union is asking for a 56-year-old Master Agreement between educators and the district to be restored. The Master Agreement was dissolved by a 7-1 Board vote in December 2024, with an “Employee Handbook” replacing the previous Master Agreement.
The board says the CSEA represents just over 50% the district’s teachers, with about a third of the entire teaching staff expected to strike. Union educators voted 91% in favor of a strike.
The other two thirds will still be present starting Oct. 8, with the substitute pool helping fill the gap.
“We don’t know why they’re striking… It can’t be about pay because they got a 10% raise. Teachers got a 10% raise last spring for this upcoming school year,” said Jill Haffley, Vice President of the Board. “It can’t be about benefits, because they have the best benefits in the city. It can’t be about planning time, duty-free lunches, those sorts of things, because we guaranteed those.”
Board members say this is a political stunt, while the CSEA says it’s not about politics, but rather setting a precedent.
“We are united with parents, families, and community members who want to keep politics out of our classrooms and keep great teachers in them. This fight is bigger than one contract; it’s about protecting public education itself,” said CSEA President Kevin Coughlin in a statement in September. “What happens in Colorado Springs will set a precedent for the rest of the state: if extremists succeed here, they won’t stop in D11. They’ll take aim at other local unions, other districts, and the very foundation of public education across Colorado.”
