At Last, Boston's Schools Reach a Deal with Unions

After 27 months of negotiations, Boston’s school district and its teachers unions have reportedly reached an agreement on contract negotiations. A final, quiet compromise forged in private late into the night provides a striking contrast to news that the Chicago standoff that has teachers on strike might last a while, so let’s assume Boston’s news might be a bit overshadowed.

Still, it’s a relief. The details will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, and it appears there were concessions from both sides on pay raises, hiring procedures, and the length of the school day, but the big takeaway is that teachers will be much more accountable for their students’ standardized test scores. With national Democrats and Republicans somewhat united on that issue, unions have been losing the teacher evaluation war, but of course, Chicago provides a more dramatic example of the divide this week, where the disastrous lack of compromise has teachers striking, kids out of school, and parents unsure where to put them. This strikes us as a case where the battle for national headlines is one we’d like to lose.