Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a comprehensive contract that aligns with the district’s five-year strategic plan, prioritizing student needs and honoring educators.
The proposed contract now moves to the CTU House of Delegates for approval before being presented to all teachers for ratification. If approved, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez will submit the contract to the Chicago Board of Education for final authorization. The agreement acknowledges the contributions of educators while balancing the district’s budget constraints and fiduciary responsibilities—preventing a potential strike.
“Our CPS bargaining team has negotiated in good faith every step of the way and stayed true to our values for public education,” Martinez said. “We made sure that this agreement respects the hard work of our talented educators and reflects what’s best for students.”
Pay and compensation
The proposed contract provides at least a 16% salary increase for all teachers over the contract’s duration, with additional step increases based on years of service. The agreement marks the largest annual raises for CPS educators in more than a decade.
In the 2023-24 school year, the starting salary for an entry-level teacher without a college degree was $66,330, while the median CPS teacher earned $94,966. Under the new agreement, by fiscal year 2026, an entry-level teacher will earn nearly $69,000, and the median salary will exceed $98,000.
CPS teachers currently contribute an average of 2.66% of their salaries toward health insurance—significantly lower than the private sector average of about 7%. Additionally, the contract includes $30 million in pay increases over four years to retain the district’s longest-serving educators.
Teacher evaluations
The contract proposes adjustments to the CPS teacher evaluation system, known as REACH, to provide additional support for educators. Teachers rated as “Excellent,” those with 19 years of experience scoring at the high end of “Proficient,” and National Board Certified Teachers would be evaluated every three years. Other “Proficient” teachers will be evaluated every two years.
The agreement also expands appeal opportunities for teacher evaluations and ensures additional resources for educators working in high-need schools.
Class size
To address class size concerns, the district and CTU have agreed to new limits:
- Kindergarten: 25 students
- Grades 1-3: 28 students
- Grades 4-8: 30 students
- Grades 9-12: 29-31 students, depending on the course
CPS will increase funding from $35 million to $40 million in the 2025-26 school year to hire additional teachers and teacher assistants for class size relief.
Preparation time
Elementary teachers will receive an additional 10 minutes of paid preparation time per day, increasing the total to 350 minutes per week. Three professional development days will also be restructured to allow for more planning time. High school teachers will continue to receive 68-72 minutes of daily prep time.
Additional benefits
The agreement includes several provisions to support educators and students:
- Expanded Benefits: 100% tuition reimbursement for bilingual education or English as a Second Language endorsements for up to 300 teachers.
- Medical and Dental Coverage: Additional benefits for employees earning less than $90,000 annually, including expanded physical, occupational, speech, and chiropractic therapy coverage.
- Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care: Access to abortion coverage, infertility treatment, and gender-affirming care in all medical plans.
- Religious Holidays: Three religious holiday benefit days per year.
CPS will also triple funding for athletic programs, add teacher assistants to all general education pre-K classrooms, and expand sustainable community schools from 20 to 50.