October 27, 2023 – Portland Association of Teachers: OUR PORTLAND TEACHERS AND OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY ARE SET TO STRIKE ON NOVEMBER 1ST
Portland teachers plan to strike for our students after months of negotiations with Portland Public Schools. Our union has requested additional bargaining dates, but as we approach November 1 we are gathering resources for our members, PPS families, and our community. The district has failed to deliver a contract that makes needed investments in our students, our educators, and our community.
Local public school teachers and support staff are united for our students and the schools they deserve. Members of the Portland Association of Teachers are demanding safe, properly maintained, fully resourced schools in every neighborhood.
WHY WE VOTED TO STRIKE.
The Portland Association of Teachers bargaining team has negotiated for months in an attempt to reach an agreement, but PPS continues to ignore the voices within our community and invest in our schools in a way that will improve outcomes for our students and make important changes in the lives of our educators.
Our students deserve more one-on-one attention from dedicated and well-qualified educators. They deserve modern classrooms and culturally relevant curriculum that prepares them for our increasingly diverse and interdependent world. They deserve small class sizes, meaningful instruction, and assessment.
We are seizing this opportunity to build the learning environments all of our families need, to create safe and modern classrooms that provide the one-on-one attention our students deserve, and to respect educators with competitive wages and benefits.
We will continue to fight until the district agrees to a contract that secures this vision for Portland schools, students, and educators.
What we are asking for:
- Wrap-around services for students: From extending high-quality early learning to every 3-year-old to ensuring transparency for and accountability to students and families receiving special education services, students across grades and abilities must have their needs and interests addressed.
- Schools that are safe, well-maintained, and fully staffed: We deserve to learn and work in buildings that are clean, comfortable, and secure. Students also deserve to attend schools that have enough staff to provide small class sizes, meaningful instruction and assessment, and professional care for those struggling and who just need support.
- The resources Portland educators need: Portland’s students need educators who have time for planning and preparation, who get the professional development they deserve that is led by educators and addresses critical topics like racial equity and implicit bias, and who receive the salaries and benefits that mean Portland teachers can afford to leave in the neighborhoods where they and their students live.
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