June 3, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Neil Bhaerman, nbhaerman@oft-aft.org
Ohio Charter School Educators Ratify Union Contracts After Years of Negotiations
Teachers and staff at Menlo Park Academy and KIPP Columbus win major improvements
COLUMBUS/CLEVELAND — Educators at two Ohio charter schools, Menlo Park Academy and KIPP Columbus, have just ratified their first union contracts after years of negotiations.
At KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Columbus, part of a national network of charter schools, the contract was ratified by a vote of union members last week and a vote of the school’s Board of Directors yesterday. KIPP educators in all four Columbus schools (Primary, Elementary, Middle and High Schools) won their union election on May 5, 2023 and had been in negotiations with their management since then.
At Menlo Park Academy (MPA), a Cleveland charter school that serves gifted students, the contract was ratified by votes of union members and of the school’s Board of Directors in April. MPA educators won their union election on March 30, 2022 and had been in negotiations with their management since then.
“We are thrilled that we were finally able to reach a contract agreement that addresses many of the issues that caused us to organize our union, including high turnover, inadequate paid time off, and large class sizes,” said Krystin Byrd, a 5th Grade Science Teacher at KIPP Columbus Elementary. “While we’re disappointed that it took our schools’ leadership three years to reach a fair agreement with us, we are ready to start working together, as equal partners, to advance the mission of our school and support our students.”
The KIPP contract includes: a class size limit (with compensation for violating that limit); increases to PTO (educators will now have between 10-18 PTO days depending on their seniority, an increase from 8 PTO days for everyone); ability to carry up to five PTO days over to the next year; payout of PTO days upon separation; a clear process for reporting health and safety concerns; continuation of KIPP’s salary schedule with additional raises totaling 4%; and a new Local Professional Development Committee.
The Menlo Park Academy contract includes: a 30 minute duty free lunch; at least 225 minutes per week for prep and planning (with compensation for failing to provide enough time); health and safety protections; annual raises of up to 3%; improved policies related to contract renewals/non-renewals; and an increase in paid time off.
“It has been a long road, but we are pleased with the results in our contract. Kudos to everyone involved who contributed, and we’re looking forward to a new chapter,” wrote MPA bargaining committee members Adonai Henderson, a music teacher, and Megan Dolar, a humanities teacher.
Both contracts include “just cause” and progressive discipline protections, which ensure that employees are terminated only for just cause that is consistent with the contract and provide employees with opportunities for job performance improvement for less serious infractions. Provisions of the contract are enforceable through a binding grievance and independent arbitration process.
According to data compiled by the Economic Policy Institute, it is common in the private sector for first union contract negotiations to take multiple years to reach completion – if they even result in a finished contract at all.
“These new contracts help illustrate two important things,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “First, it is exceedingly and shamefully difficult for private sector employees to negotiate a fair union contract due to the lack of accountability and respect from employers who seek to drag out the process. Second, when educators stick together through thick and thin they can win improvements for their students and for themselves, no matter what an employer throws at them. These educators deserve a voice—and so much more.”
In Ohio, while charter schools are classified as public schools they are officially private, not public, employers. As such, charter school unions are certified through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) instead of Ohio's State Employment Relations Board. Educators filed multiple Unfair Labor Practice charges against both MPA and KIPP Columbus during the course of negotiations.
“We are so excited to officially welcome KIPP Columbus and Menlo Park Academy into our union,” said Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT). “Charter schools, when they are operated transparently and in the public interest, have the ability to innovate in how they educate students. That innovation though should never be dependent on poor working conditions for teachers and staff, and that is why it is so essential that charter educators have a union voice and a union contract.”
With their new contract, Menlo Park Academy educators are now members of the Cleveland Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (Cleveland ACTS) local union. Cleveland ACTS includes members at six other charter schools in northeast Ohio: Stepstone Academy, Summit Academy Parma, and four ACCEL Schools (Northeast Ohio College Preparatory Lower Campus , Northeast Ohio College Preparatory High School, Cleveland College Preparatory School, and University of Cleveland Preparatory School). KIPP educators are members of the new local union, KIPP Columbus Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (KIPP Columbus ACTS).
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The Ohio Federation of Teachers is a state federation of 65 local unions representing more than 20,000 members who are active and retired public school teachers and staff, higher education faculty and staff, social workers, library workers, and public employees. OFT works to advance quality public education and higher education, intellectual freedom, and a voice in the workplace for Ohio’s education, public service, and social work professionals. OFT is affiliated with the 1.8 million member American Federation of Teachers.