Flint, MI — Flint Board of Education unanimously approved a new settlement agreement with the United Teachers of Flint (UTF) on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
The teachers voted to ratify and accept the settlement with a 96% approval rate, according to Michigan Education Association Uniserv Director Bruce Jordan.
In a joint statement from Flint Community Schools (FCS), Jordan and UTF President Karen Christian said they look forward to working with the district on “vital recruitment and retention of teachers and students.”
“The time is now. We are hopeful,” they said. “This agreement goes a long way in restoring the trust we have had with the district and the board.”
While changes in the new settlement agreement are still unclear, the district and UTF are expected to hold a joint press conference on the agreement next week.
Board Vice President Michael Clack said passing the agreement is a “big weight off our shoulders.”
“It is not easy when you pull into a parking lot and you’ve got 150 people surrounding your car,” Clack said of the teachers demanding a fair agreement. “That’ll make you think a whole lot. This makes me feel good and it warms my heart. You deserve it.”
“This is not just for our teachers, this is for our scholars,” FCS Superintendent Kevelin Jones said. “We have a lot of work to do, we’re committed to do it, but we’re not standing alone, we’re all standing together.”
Trustee Laura MacIntyre said the decision was a step toward “making teachers whole.”
“I’m glad to see this momentum moving forward,” MacIntyre said. “I really have hopes for debt elimination for our schools and for the state and the federal legislations to change the way things are decided so teachers get what they deserve.”
Several board members echoed the sentiment that the district needed help from Lansing, MI, and Washington, D.C., to stabilize its finances.
“I’m speaking to the governor and senators now,” said Board President Joyce Ellis-McNeal. “We need help to make sure that our teachers never have to come before us demanding something that they deserve.”
The settlement decision comes months after the board rejected the original settlement agreement. The teachers fought back, repeatedly asking the board to reconsider, protesting board meetings, and organizing a districtwide sickout in March 2024.
A tentative settlement agreement was reached on March 25, 2024.
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