Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson now has a key buy-in for his school overhaul plan: The Cleveland Teachers Union.

At a press conference today, Jackson and union President David Quolke announced they’d reached a deal.

The union has agreed to some key changes, including giving performance more priority than seniority when it comes to layoffs --  and giving the administration more flexibility to lengthen school days and years, make deals with charter schools and fire bad teachers.

But the mayor gave up on the part of the plan that would have allowed the administration to impose its own contract terms if negotiations hit an impasse.

The overhaul will require changes in state law, and the union and Statehouse Democrats had refused to fully endorse a plan making those changes until the union and mayor reached a compromise on the so-called “fresh start” provision.