Teaching Against Climate Despair: A Climate Justice Teach-In

Monday, May 23, 2022

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, Virtual. 

Hosted by the Portland Public Schools Energy & Sustainability Team, co-sponsored by the PPS Climate Justice Committee and the Portland Association of Teachers

REGISTER HERE

Join us online as teachers from around Portland share how they creatively incorporate climate justice topics into their classrooms, from art and activism to Indigenous knowledge to the science and economics of a green future.

Let’s share how we equip our students to recognize the breadth of the climate emergency, to probe its social and economic causes, and to come to see themselves as activists for a just society and a stable climate. 

Panelists include:

Erika Alabarca, Roseway Heights Middle School — Erika is a 7th-grade social studies teacher at Roseway Heights, where she helps organize an after-school ECO club, and incorporates soil regeneration into her classes. She is an active member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee. 

Christina Aucutt, Grant High School — Christina teaches the Climate Justice elective at Grant High School, where she brings speakers from across Portland to tie climate justice education to real world issues and grassroots initiatives. 

Caitlin Blood, MITCH Charter School — Caitlin is a former farmer and agricultural advisor. She is the Director of Sustainability at MITCH Charter School, where she works to root classroom content in an agricultural framework. Her students explore math, language arts, science, and history through hands-on agricultural observation and practice.

Treothe Bullock, McDaniel High School — “Tre” teaches Climate Justice and Chemistry at McDaniel and is an active member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee. 

Joe Ferguson, Alliance High School — Joe is the Natural Resources, Science, and Instructional Facilitator at Alliance. He incorporates climate science and sustainability lessons into his classrooms, setting up wildlife cameras at Whitaker Ponds and partnering with Community Cycling Center for bike mechanic lessons. 

Rachel Hanes, Glencoe Elementary — Rachel is a 2nd-grade teacher, member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee, and active in the Portland Association of Teachers. Her teaching aims to connect students’ lives to climate issues, such as oil pipelines and forests. 

Jesse Hunter, Woodstock Elementary — Jesse is a 2nd-grade teacher at Woodstock School in Southeast Portland. He has led efforts to establish school gardens and garden education programs at Lent Elementary and Woodstock.

Suzie Kassouf, Grant High School — Suzie has a deep background in grassroots climate justice organizing. At Grant High School, she has focused on turning her classroom into a place for connection, community, justice, and love.  

Cat Phung, Growing Gardens — Cat is the North Portland Youth Grow Educator and Community Organizer for Growing Gardens. She is a first-generation Vietnamese American, gardener and cook, with a background in environmental science and outreach. 

Gerald Scrutchions, Grant High School — “Scutch” teaches Human Rights and Environmental Justice at Grant. He has been a mentor, educator, and advocate for many of the student climate activists from Tubman Middle School protesting the I-5 freeway expansion.

Tim Swinehart, Lincoln High School — Tim teaches environmental justice and is a member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee. He works with district staff to devise and implement policies to spread climate justice education across Portland Public Schools.

Do you have unused sick leave hours? Please consider donating them to help support PAT members  facing serious health issues.

Members may donate up to 40 hours of sick leave annually. Employees who have already submitted their notice of resignation are exempted from this maximum limit, and may contribute as many hours as they would like. 

The PAT Sick Leave Bank (see PAT/PPS contract Article 17.2.1.2) provides aid for colleagues who have exhausted their accumulated leave balances and are unable to work due to extended or recurring personal illness. With the help of the Sick Leave Bank, they are able to avoid the additional hardships of lost salary and lost insurance coverage during their illness. 

You can donate hours using this online form, or go to our website for additional information.

Come join us on Friday, May 20th at 3:45 PM (or anytime after school) at Laurelhurst Park to help celebrate the (almost) end of the school year! It’s been over two years since we’ve been able to hold our annual Party in the Park, so we are excited to finally be able to gather together again! Food and drinks will be provided (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Please feel free to bring your families, too!

RSVP here today

The PAT Racial Equity Committee is excited to host another social for PAT educators of color. Let’s toast to surviving the school year! Join us for food, fun & fellowship. Dinner and drinks will be provided at this family-friendly event at Amalfi’s, May 27th from 4:00-7:00 PM. RSVP today!

See the animated flyer!

PAT is thrilled to celebrate and reflect on the careers of all of our retiring PAT educators. We will also be honoring the PAT officers and executive board directors and their service to PAT. Retiring educators will receive an invitation soon with more details for the celebration happening on Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30pm.

Registration is now open for the OEA Summer Conference in Bend, OR! Two distinct conference opportunities will be offered to fit your needs:  

Virtual Conference: Thursday, July 14  

In-Person Conference: Tues., July 19 - Thurs., July 21 Riverhouse Hotel on the Deschutes 3075 N Hwy 97, Bend, OR 97703 

Register today! See our flier here

May Primary Dates

• May 17th - Primary Election Day
• Drop off ballots by 8:00 PM May 17th

PAT Socials

• May 20th, 3:45 PM: End of Year Party in the Park RSVP here (All PAT members and their families are invited.)
• May 26th, 4:30 PM: PAT AAPI Social RSVP here (PAT members who identify as Asian or Pacific Islander are all invited.)
• May 27th, 4:30 PM: Educators of Color Social RSVP here (PAT members who identify as a person of color are all invited.)
• June 8th, 6:30 PM: Retirement Celebration (for PAT members who are retiring this year, and their guests. More details to come.)

PAT Rep Assembly and Committee Meetings- Join the committee mailing list to receive a Zoom Link.

• May 11th, 4:30-6:30 PM: May PAT Rep Assembly
• May 18th, 4:30-6:30 PM: IPD Committee Meeting
• May 25th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Legislative Committee Meeting
• May 25th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Racial Equity Committee Meeting
• May 25th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Membership Committee Meeting
• May 26th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Social Justice/Community Outreach Committee Meeting*
• May 26th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Substitute Committee Meeting*

*These meetings have been moved to Thursday over the usual Wednesday scheduling

**Unless otherwise noted, all PAT committee meetings will be held virtually on Zoom for the time being

OEA Events

July 14, 19-21, OEA Summer Conference Register here

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

PAT has frequently hosted workshops on financial well being and planning for the future, led by veteran financial advisor Ed Foster.  Whether you are a new educator thinking ahead, or in the last years of your career, we now have Ed Foster’s sage advice available for you online, whenever you need it:

• Retirement Planning for Early Career Educators (recorded 12/3/2020)
• Retirement Planning for Mid-Career Educators (recorded 4/8/2021)
• Retirement Planning for Educators Considering Retiring (recorded 1/6/2022)
• Retirement Planning for Educators Considering Retiring (recorded 10/20/2020)