Vancouver Public Schools is negotiating a new contract with the Vancouver Education Association, which represents teachers, counselors and other education professionals. The complex and inequitable funding system recently adopted by the state legislature is making the process of bargaining teacher contracts exceptionally difficult for districts throughout the state.

Our goal is to begin the school year on time. As of today, we anticipate that all schools will open on schedule. The bargaining teams are continuing their collaborative talks and working together toward an agreement. However, it’s important for families to be prepared for the possibility of a VEA work stoppage/strike. Please see the “What you need to know” section.

VEA members have authorized their executive board to conduct a work stoppage/strike if a contract settlement is not reached by the first day of school, Aug. 29. To date, VEA leaders have not accepted an offer from VPS that would give teachers a 14.9 percent improvement in average total compensation over two years and a 17.2 percent improvement over three years. In this offer, the district has proposed that starting teachers would earn $51,254 (a $6,593 increase) and the most experienced teachers would earn $99,404 (a $15,481 increase) by 2020-21.

The latest VEA and VPS salary proposals are available for your review on our contract negotiations webpage.

We encourage you to return to this website for regular updates.

What you need to know

On Monday, Aug. 27, we will let you know if school will begin on Aug. 29.

If VEA leaders call for a work stoppage/strike, please be prepared for the following:

  • Back-to-school nights and activities on the days preceding Aug. 29 will be held as scheduled.
  • The start of school will be postponed until the VEA work stoppage/strike is finished.
    • On Monday, Aug. 27, VPS employees will receive a district email message with reporting instructions.
  • Sports practices will continue as scheduled due to separate agreements with coaches.
  • Southwest Washington Child Care Consortium centers located on school grounds will operate as normal. Please contact SWCCC for information.

Depending on the duration of a VEA work stoppage/strike, the last day of school also could be affected. We promise to share additional details, including graduation dates, with VPS families as soon as we have them.