Commenters representing Danbury educators urged the Danbury Board of Education on Tuesday night to finalize a new contract they described as fair and competitive, saying the district must act to retain teachers and keep class sizes manageable. The remarks came on the eve of a scheduled final negotiation session.

Why it matters: Educators told the board that large class sizes, rising cost of living and growing workload risk driving staff to neighboring districts; the educators framed a new contract as central to student outcomes because “our teaching conditions are our learning conditions.”

At the meeting a commenter who identified themself as speaking on behalf of Danbury educators said the district’s classrooms often hold “28, 29, sometimes 30 students, sometimes more,” and asked for a contract that “respects the educators who are the backbone of this district” and that “provides wages and benefits that keep pace with inflation with our neighboring districts.” The commenter also said many teachers are covering non‑instructional roles — social work, counseling and extracurricular supervision — and that staff frequently use personal funds to cover classroom needs.

Board chairwoman Cooper (first referenced by title) thanked the educators for attending and acknowledged the district’s awareness of staffing and compensation pressures. Julian Schafer, introduced during the meeting as the union vice president, was identified by a board member as being present near the speakers.

The presentation was a public comment and did not include a formal board action. The transcript indicates educators planned to resume negotiations the following night; the board did not record a motion or vote related to contract terms during the meeting.

Discussion vs. decision: The remarks were a public appeal and a summary of union priorities; the board’s response was acknowledgment and an assurance the district would continue work on hiring and negotiations, but the meeting did not record any board direction or formal change to policy.

Context and background: Speakers said Danbury is among the state’s fastest‑growing districts and emphasized multilingual classrooms and higher-than-average class sizes. The comment period named three primary contract goals: respect and recognition for staff, safe working conditions, and competitive compensation to reduce turnover.

What to watch: Whether the negotiation session noted in public comments concludes with a ratified contract that addresses wages, staffing ratios and safety provisions.