The Portland school district plans to meet Friday in mediation with the teachers’ union.

The Portland Association of Teachers sees the meeting as a positive step, after difficult negotiations earlier this month.

“Well, it provides hope that we can get to a negotiated settlement,” said Gwen Sullivan, the union president. “I think that when we’re talking, that shows that there’s a chance of making that happen.”

The two sides have tentatively agreed on about twenty issues, but many of financial obstacles remain. The union and district disagree on how many additional teachers to hire, and on how long the school year should be. Early retirement incentives are also a sticking point.

The Portland school board agreed Monday to budget changes. The district announced additional, unexpected revenue last week.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.