St. Paul Public Schools and its teachers union moved somewhat closer to a contract agreement Thursday in the final mediated negotiating session before the teachers vote on a possible strike.

The school district withdrew its proposal to define the teacher work week as 40 hours. The district also promised to collaborate with the union on pressuring corporations and large nonprofits to give money to the schools — but only if the union agrees to pursue new revenue through the state’s Q Comp alternative compensation program. That hasn’t happened.

The district said in a news release that two tentative agreements were reached Thursday: They’ll expand an alternative parent-teacher conference model, and the district will give extra support to Hmong dual language teachers, who have had to translate the curriculum from English.

“Today’s progress creates momentum and optimism that the parties will reach additional agreements during the next mediation sessions,” set for Feb. 2 and 7, the district said in the news release.

However, the teachers, as well as the educational assistants and school and community service professionals, are slated to vote Jan. 31 on whether to authorize a strike. Related Articles Distance learning deal with St. Paul teachers calls for ‘regular’ — not necessarily daily — live teaching

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In a message to his members Thursday, St. Paul Federation of Teachers president Nick Faber described the day’s agreements as “minimal but some positive progress.”

The district’s withdrawal of the 40-hour work week proposal was “huge,” he said.

But he said the district continues to push for looser class size limits on some schools and for greater freedom to place underperforming teachers on improvement plans.

The union has asked for 2.5 percent pay raises this year and next, in addition to increases based on education and experience. Faber said the district offered 1 percent pay raises, but that those raises would shrink if the district has to pay for other, non-salary proposals.