For years, NEA members have advocated together in favor of canceling college debt to help fix the educator shortage. Now, student loans taken out by millions of borrowers are being substantially reduced, forgiven, or even canceled outright due to recent changes in loan forgiveness programs.

However, the fight is not over, and NEA remains committed to helping you take advantage of these opportunities. Join OEA to learn more about how recent changes may impact your student debt, and resources available through your NEA Member Benefits to help you navigate the system.

Register today to reserve your place. Click the image to see our flier.

Date and Time: Wednesday, March 29 from 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Cost: Members $0, free as a benefit of membership. This is a members-only event.

Here is an amazing opportunity to influence state funding for special education! 

House Bill 2895 proposes to remove the cap on state funding for special education. 

What: Public Hearing on House Bill 2895

When: Monday, March 27th @ 3:00 PM

Where: Capitol Building, 900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301, Hearing Room D, Salem

If passed, this could be the first time special education has been fully funded in Oregon.

• April 4th, 2023 11am-7pm @ PAT office

• April 13th, 2023 11am-7pm @ PESC office

Set your reminders to watch and show your solidarity! Wear your buttons, Blues, and a cap with a bargaining button on it!

On Tuesday, April 4th, Take a photo with staff before or after school (or during lunch) and send to [email protected]

Wear any cap- put a bargaining button on it! Let’s show that we’re united for smaller class sizes.

Post your own photos & selfies:  Tag us @PDXteachers on Facebook, instagram, Twitter and TikTok

When posting: Use hashtags #PPSClassSizeMatters #PATbargaining #BluesdayPPS #BluesdayPAT

Join the Oregon Historical Society and the Japanese American Museum of Oregon to learn about classroom-ready curriculum and other resources to teach about the experiences of Japanese Americans in Oregon. Click here to register.

Saturday, April 15th

• Educator Workshop 12:30-2:00 PM
• Public roundtable discussion with Yasui family members and historians 2:00-4:00 PM

Columbia Center for the Arts: 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

PDU credits available

OHS is offering $150 stipends to a limited number of teachers who register for and attend the entire event.

Join us at the PAT office for a discussion on where we’ve been and where we are going with racial equity.  More details to come.

The Labor Notes Troublemakers School is coming back to Portland! PAT is co-sponsoring this event 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Saturday, May 6th at McDaniel High School. This is FREE for PAT members! Come learn from other labor activists and members about organizing, representation, direct action, and contract campaigns. PAT will be heavily featured and we look forward to our members coming to learn and teach. Register today.

RSVP Today

• Substitute Committee, Tuesday, April 4th, 4:30-6:30 PM 
• Advocacy Committee*, Wednesday, April 5th, 4:30-6:30 PM 
• ELD Sub-Committee, Wednesday, April 5th, 4:30-6:30 PM (register HERE for Zoom link)
• Internal Organizing, Monday, April 10th, 4:30-6:30 PM
• Legislative Committee & PAT PAC, Tuesday, April 11th, 4:30-6:30 PM 
• Bargaining, IPD, Racial Equity+ Committees, Wednesday, April 12th, 4:30-6:30 PM
• External Organizing & SJCO Committee, RSVP (New form to include parents/guardians) Thursday, April 13th, 4:30-6:30 PM

*Marks closed committees +Marks affinity space for BIPOC educators 

For all upcoming events, please see the PAT calendar and OEA calendar.

The PAT office will be closed for Spring Break, March 27th-31st.

School Board Candidate Endorsements:

The Portland Association of Teacher PAC Board is proud to endorse the following candidates for PPS School Board:

Probationary educators must be evaluated each year during their 3-year probationary period. The process is described in the contract and the Educator Handbook for Professional Growth and Evaluation.  Performance ratings must align with the PPS Performance Evaluation Rubric and ratings must be based on direct evidence included in the written evaluation.

Don’t forget to wear blue on Tuesdays! It doesn’t have to be a PAT blue shirt: You can rock a blue scarf, a blue pin, a blue sticker, a blue sweater or anything else you can imagine. But why, maestra? What’s the point? Well, the Tuesday Blue-sday tradition helps us show each other our union solidarity and reminds PPS leaders that our power is in our numbers and unity. Remember, campaigns are not built on one action but many escalating actions. This is just the beginning!