The Detroit teachers union has ratified a one-year contract with the state's largest school system.
The short term of the contract is due to uncertainty over state funding for schools in future years, according to Detroit Public Schools Community District.
The contract boosts starting salaries for new teachers to $51,019, which the district says is the highest starting salary of any school district in Michigan.
Teachers already employed will move up one step on a salary ladder, or get a 2.74% raise if they're already at the top.
The teachers union also represents some non-teachers, some of whom were making under $15 an hour. The new contract boosts non-teacher pay so that all are making at least $15 an hour.
District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says average teacher salaries have increased by more than $13,000 since 2017, from $56,921 to $70,380, and this contract continues what he calls tremendous progress on teacher pay.
But he says Detroit still needs to overcome the state's legacy of inequitable funding from district to district, in order for salaries to be competitive with outlying school districts.
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