Deal reached in Prairie Grove District 46 teachers strike; classes resume Monday

October 12, 2012 (PRAIRIE GROVE, Ill.) (WLS) -- Striking teachers in Prairie Grove School District 46 near Crystal Lake have reached a deal. School is back on starting Monday.

The union and district agreed to a new contract Friday afternoon.

Teachers said they have been working without a contract for almost two years.

Teachers walked off the job Thursday night.

In an unusual move, the mediator made the negotiations public for parents and the community. One of the main sticking points had been teacher salary schedules.

"It is a matrix, and every year you work, you move up. For every educational degree you have, you move higher and higher. The district wants to do away with that. We work hard for those degrees," said Brad Piech, PGTA. "At this school, we have, I believe, 84 percent of our staff with master's degrees and higher, and that is unusual for any school to be that dedicated. Most of our teachers have been here for a long time because we love this community."

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local, ravi baichwal

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