Boston Teachers Union And City Reach Tentative Agreement

After more than two years of negotiations, the Boston Teachers Union and the city have reached a tentative contract agreement.

"What this contract will achieve is a fundamental shift in the way our schools operate and meet the needs of all children," said Carol Johnson, superintendent of Boston Public Schools.

The six-year contract, retroactive to 2010, includes a teacher evaluation system that uses student growth and parent feedback to evaluate teachers. New teachers who are rated unsatisfactory would not be given pay raises.

The deal also grants teachers a 12 percent raise over six years and gives principals more say over who they hire and fire.

The agreement still needs to be voted on by the union and the Boston School Committee. It comes on the third day of the Chicago teachers strike, and at a time when unions and districts across the country continue to struggle over core reforms such as teacher evaluations.

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