4 PM: We’re at the IAM Local 751 Hall in South Park, where Seattle Education Association leaders and building (individual schools) reps are meeting to decide whether to suspend the strike pending a membership vote on the tentative contract agreement reached early this morning. A few minutes ago, SEA spokesperson Rich Wood emerged to tell us and other media that it’s likely to be at least half an hour – 4:30 or so – before they have something to announce. The results of this meeting will determine whether school does or does not start on Thursday (Wednesday’s already been ruled out by the district). Updates to come.

4:39 PM UPDATE: We’re still waiting. While what’s happening in the meeting isn’t audible outside, aside from bursts of applause now and then, we did hear that lots of questions were being asked. (4:44 pm – Right after we wrote that, Wood came out to tell us exactly that – it’s still going to be a while longer as 15 or so people are still in line to ask questions, plus there are people standing by to offer pros and cons. “They’re very thorough – they’re educators,” he noted.)

(Added: WSB photo inside meeting room, once media was allowed in as participants departed)

5:57 PM UPDATE: It’s a little chaotic in here but word is they voted to END THE STRIKE.

6:16 PM UPDATE: Bargainers just finished their media briefing (updated – hi-res video replacing low-res version).

Technically, this vote was to SUSPEND the strike. It’s not formally over until membership vote, which we’re told will be Sunday. But school WILL start Thursday, both the union AND district now say. Adding contract details that we have heard here (and from printed copy we’ve procured):

*30 “equity teams” – 10 schools the first year, 10 more the second year, 10 more the third year.
*Also re: equity: “Partnership Committee between SPS, SEA, and community reps to eliminate disproportionate discipline”
*SEA and SPS will determine how the lost days are made up
*Compensation – same raises for certificated, SAEOPs, paraprofessionals
-3.0% raise now, with 3% added state COLA
-2.0% raise in 2016, with 1.8% added state COLA
-4.5% raise in 2017

*Recess, as previously reported, at least 30 minutes per day “during the student instructional day”

*Calendar: Full midwinter break every year, school starts first Wednesday in September, “rules to develop calendar in any year so staff and families can plan ahead”

*Re: testing, “no more Seattle student growth rating … evaluation language updated … SEA and SPS agree to jointly petition (state) regarding use of focused scores”

ADDED 7:15 PM: Other key points:

Student day increase beginning in 2017-18: “Student day is extended 20 minutes each day, within the 7.5 hour teacher workday; students are released one hour early (or arrive one hour late) once per week. Net increase in student instructional time, 22-25 minutes per week. Building Leadership Teams still set the school schedule just as they do now.

Pay for longer student day: 100 minutes – 60 paid as collaboration, 15-18 paid as prep, 13.3 paid as tech, 10 paid as .5% of 3rd year raise.

Special Education: Special Ed preschool ratio lowered to 10:1:2, Distinct (social/emotional) classrooms lowered to 7:1:2, Special Ed Task Force will review special ed coasts; savings will be redirected to reduce employee workloads. Special Ed Team to decide on Instructional Assistant deployment when students are grouped across classrooms in a building.

ESA Caseloads: Enforceable caseload ratios for the first time.

The list continues – we’re still looking for an electronic version of the toplines so we can just link.

9:03 PM: See comments for a few other quotes from the printed summary. Also a note: Teachers will be back on campus tomorrow, to get ready for the start of classes Thursday.

(SCROLL DOWN for newest info)

7:43 AM: Just texted and tweeted by the union – “SEA reached a tentative contract agreement …” after negotiators pulled an all-nighter. Seattle Education Association members are being told to go to their picket sites at 8:30 am for more information. In its Facebook post, SEA added that while the bargainers have a tentative agreement, “the strike will continue until the SEA board and representative assembly review the agreement later today and decide whether to recommend approval to the SEA membership or continue striking.”

8:32 AM: Per the district, “goal is to start school Thursday.” Again, per the union, their recommendation is still pending review. We have just arrived at the Chief Sealth IHS picketing location (photo above) to see what educators there are hearing.

9 AM: No new details in the briefing for this group of strikers, but a reiteration that the strike continues for now:

That’s teacher Ian Golash. He said Denny and Sealth teachers (who you might recall marched to district HQ downtown yesterday afternoon) will be picketing together while they wait for news on whether leadership recommends suspending the strike and setting a vote. For the official bottom line from the district, its strike-info page currently begins, “SPS and SEA have reached a tentative agreement. Details have not yet been released. We do not yet know when school will resume.” (added) KIRO has posted unedited video of the district briefing here (held on very short notice so we couldn’t get downtown).

9:26 AM: District negotiators said at today’s briefing (per the aforementioned video, which we just watched) that the marathon negotiating session went from 11 am Monday until just before 7 am today. District spokesperson Stacy Howard reiterated that the district is working on logistics, which is why school might not be able to reopen before Thursday – primarily transportation and food – and that they’re also working on the calendar details, and that they will get information out to families as soon as they have it. She and the negotiators at the briefing said they could not discuss any details of the deal, “embargoed” while the union leadership reviews it.

10:19 AM: The most-recent text from the union to its membership reiterates that the union’s board will review the tentative agreement today, but the strike continues in the meantime. We’ve received these photos from Jennifer Hall (second from right in 2nd photo below) at West Seattle High School, with messages of gratitude for community support:

The downtown march that was scheduled days ago, if the strike had continued this long, is under way right now.

11:46 AM: SEA president Jonathan Knapp is talking with citywide media at union HQ. He’s quoted as saying it’s a three-year agreement.

1:50 PM: The district says school will start Thursday. The union hasn’t had its reps’ meeting yet, so we’re not sure what’s led to that declaration, but it’s what SPS says. As a commenter said here hours ago, the union meeting is at 2:30.

3:15 PM: The union reps’ meeting is at the Machinists’ Union Hall in South Park, and SEA says their announcement will happen there when it’s over, so we’ve just arrived there to join the rest of the staked-out media. According to SEA’s latest text, the Representatives’ Assembly (reps from the 97 schools in the district) is what’s happening now.