CH-UH schools and teachers union announce agreement

To the Editor:

After months of contract negotiations culminating in an all-night session, the Cleveland Heights Teachers Union (CHTU) and the CH-UH City School District reached a tentative agreement on the morning of Dec. 2. The union ratified it with 94% approval. On Dec. 8, the agreement will be presented to the CH-UH Board of Education (BOE) for a vote. We are happy to be able to move forward united and, above all else, we are relieved that our teachers are exactly where they’re needed most—with their students.

The battle we continue to fight together is one against our district’s common enemy: the impact of disastrous EdChoice legislation and inequitable school funding. The CH-UH schools lost $7 million last year, and we expect to lose more than $9 million this school year, due to the way EdChoice vouchers are funded in Ohio. We will continue to testify in front of state lawmakers, provide Heights residents with information and ways to support fair school funding legislation, and work closely with our advocacy partners such as the Heights Coalition for Public Education. 

We wish to thank the Heights community for their engagement, advocacy and support. Together, we remain committed to fulfilling our mission of preparing our students for college and career. We are unified in our commitment to make positive change to school funding and, ultimately, the future of education for our Heights children.