By Associated Press - Wednesday, September 13, 2017

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The Latest on negotiations between teachers and the school board (all times local):

8:35 p.m.

Teachers in Burlington, Vermont, are going on strike.

Members of the Burlington Education Association say they will go on strike Thursday. They say a last-minute call by a former federal mediator and Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger failed to convince the school board to reach a deal with them.

Burlington High School history teacher Fran Brock serves as president of the 400-member union. Brock says the board had an opportunity to address the achievement gap in elementary schools and to stem the exodus of teachers but didn’t take that opportunity.

School Board Chairman Mark Porter had said the board was optimistic the disagreement could be settled Wednesday.

Both sides had said they were close on salary issues but remained deadlocked on teachers’ use of time for class preparation and student intervention.

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12:05 p.m.

Teachers and administrators in Vermont’s largest city and school district are meeting one last time in hopes of averting a strike.

Representatives of the Burlington teacher’s union and the city school board are meeting with a mediator.

Teachers had planned to begin the strike Wednesday, but agreed to meet with mediator Ira Lobel in hopes of reaching an agreement. The meeting started at 11 a.m.

On Sept. 1, the school board voted to impose terms and conditions on city teachers. The union rejected the imposition and set the strike date.

Both sides say they were close on salary issues but remained deadlocked on the way teachers use their time for class preparation and student intervention.

___

12:05 a.m.

Teachers and administrators in Vermont’s largest city and school district are going to be meeting one last time in hopes of averting a strike.

Representatives of the Burlington teacher’s union and the city school board are due to meet Wednesday with a mediator.

Teachers had planned to begin the strike Wednesday, but agreed to meet with mediator Ira Lobel in hopes of reaching an agreement.

On Sept. 1, the school board voted to impose terms and conditions on city teachers. The union rejected the imposition and set the strike date.

Both sides say they were close on salary issues but remained deadlocked on the way teachers use their time for class preparation and student intervention.

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