The Advocate - June 16, 2017

• Have a Good Summer
• Read the Latest Bargaining Brief
• Building and Classroom Moves
• Time to Get Organized!
• Lead Workshops at the Northwest Teachers for Social Justice Conference
• Summer Office Hours
• Are You Interested in Becoming a National Board Certified Teacher?

As the school year winds down, I want to take a chance to thank you for the work you do for our students, each and every day. Despite the challenges we faced this year, our commitment to teaching ALL children, no matter where they come from, remains strong and we have persevered.

The District pulled out of Interest-Based Bargaining last week, stating "until we get to a crisis point where one side can strike and one side can implement, we won’t get to a deal." The District is taking steps required to impose its contract proposal on us, and we have mediation with the District scheduled for July 10^th. Find out all the details from our negotiators in the latest Bargaining Brief.

If you are required to move to a new building as the result of school reconfigurations, construction, or other District-initiated changes, check our new contract Article 16 regarding your right to payment for time spent packing and unpacking your personal belongings.  We now also have specific contract language to cover “extraordinary moves” – those situations in which an educator may be asked to sort and pack materials and equipment beyond the typical classroom situation, such as the theater, library, or science labs.  The contract language provides a specific procedure for agreement between the educator and administrator on the amount of extra time to be paid. 

Before we leave for summer, we need to make sure we have a strong 1:10 structure in place in every building. Building Organizers, please remember to get the following items to PAT. You can pony to PAT, or scan and email it to [email protected].

In these scary times, educators of conscience need each other more than ever. Please consider proposing a workshop for this year's Northwest Teaching for Social Justice Conference.

The NWTSJ Conference is an annual festival of idea-sharing, inspiration, and resources, that rotates yearly between Portland and Seattle.

PAT is open most of this summer, but we will be taking vacations on a rotating schedule. You should call first if you’re planning on stopping by. The office will be closed July 3-7 and July 19-28. If you need assistance while we are away, please call OEA.

PAT: 503-233-5018

OEA: 503-684-3300

The Oregon Education Association is offering Jump Start Seminars, led by Oregon NBCTs, to assist OEA and WEA members in that pursuit. OEA Jump Start is a four-day comprehensive seminar designed to provide National Board candidates with important information about the certification process, time to examine component and Assessment Center requirements, the opportunity to plan how to meet requirements, and time to collaborate, gather resources and information needed to pursue certification.