A new contract for D.C. public school teachers has been approved by an overwhelming margin, with 1,412 teachers voting in favor and 425 against. The votes, which were submitted by mail, phone and email, were tallied starting at 10 a.m. today. The new contract will give teachers raises of over 20 percent by 2012 and has been seen as one of the defining initiatives School Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s rocky tenure. The D.C. Council will vote on the contract next.