The District 97 Board of Education, administration and Oak Park Teachers’ Association (OPTA) are pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement on a new teacher contract. During the past six months, we have discussed and agreed to terms on a number of critical issues that include:
- Evaluations
- Sick leave
- Parental leave
- Leaves of absence
- Sick bank
- School day
- Work day
- Planning time
- Leadership roles
- Insurance
- Retirement
- National Board Certification
- Stipends
- Education Council
- English language services
- Special education
- Compensation
Thanks to the tireless efforts of our negotiating teams, we believe we have produced a contract that honors the hard work of our remarkable teaching staff and will help foster their continued success; will aid in the advancement of our vision for the district; underscores our collective commitment to fiscal stewardship; and, most importantly, will enable us to meet the needs of the more than 6,000 students we are proud to serve on a daily basis.
The OPTA is scheduled to discuss the tentative agreement on May 29 and vote on its ratification on May 30. If the OPTA ratifies the agreement, the board will vote on its approval during a special meeting that is scheduled to take place on June 1 at 8 a.m. We will keep the community updated on the status of this situation, and thank you for your continued support of our schools, staff members and students.