Little Rock school district, teachers' union reach deal

LITTLE ROCK—The Little Rock School District and the district's teachers' union agreed Tuesday to a contract through October 2019 after weeks of disagreement and tense negotiations.

The agreement came one day before the current contract was set to expire and was ratified unanimously by union members.

The contract contains language which says the education department can petition the state for a waiver that would make it easier to fire teachers in poorly performing schools.

Last month, Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key rejected a tentative agreement because the contract did not include language for the waiver. As the contract expiration date approached, both sides agreed to a two-week negotiation extension, which was set to expire Wednesday night. Little Rock School District has been under state control since 2015 because of low test scores in some schools.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2018/nov/15/little-rock-school-district-teachers-union-reach-deal/752485/