To be sure these sore points must be addressed if Jackson’s plan to transform Cleveland schools is to become a reality.

It was refreshing to see that the Cleveland Teachers Union and Mayor Frank Jackson are moving closer to an agreement on the mayor’s school plan.

The major accord came with how to handle the layoff and recall of teachers, with Jackson agreeing to use the plan suggested by teachers last week.

The compromised plan would rely on teacher evaluations first, and tenure and seniority second.  Currently, layoffs and recalls are based mainly on seniority and tenure.

Ever gracious, Mayor Jackson said that the teachers plan had merit and that he would accept the recommendation.

This is the art of compromise for the greater good.

We should never forget that the primary mission of any school district is to educate our youth to prepare them for the future in an increasingly global competitive marketplace.

Frank Jackson gets it.

It appears that the teachers get it as well.

Along with accepting the teachers’ proposal for layoffs and recalls, Jackson dropped his proposal to eliminate tenure, or continuing contracts, for teachers.

The mayor hopes to meet with union officials next week to talk about two issues they disagree on: throwing out the old contracts and how to handle failing schools.

To be sure these sore points must be addressed if Jackson’s plan to transform Cleveland schools is to become a reality.

So far, ongoing discussions have been based on collegiality.

We hope that these talks with remain in that spirit for the greater good of our children.