Joint Statement by DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee,
Washington Teachers' Union President George Parker, and
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten
on the Status of Contract Talks between DCPS and WTU

WASHINGTON—The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the Washington Teacher's Union (WTU) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are pleased to announce that negotiations on the D.C. teachers' contract have restarted in earnest. With the assistance of Kurt Schmoke, Dean of Howard University School of Law as mediator, we have established a clear timeline for future meetings and a process to quickly address the outstanding issues. We have high hopes that we will soon reach an agreement that is good for students, respectful of teachers, and supportive of our collective efforts to improve D.C.'s public schools.

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