The Advocate - October 4, 2017

• PAT Welcomes New Superintendent
• Victory for PAT Substitutes
• Supreme Court to Hear Anti-Union Case
• Help PAT Engage!
• Donate to the Sick Leave Bank!
• Congratulations to Oregon's Teacher of the Year
• Advancing on the Salary Schedule – Upcoming Deadline October 31^st
• National Board Certification Workshop, October 5^th
• OEA Advocacy Conference - October 6^th and 7^th

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Yesterday, October 3rd, a group of educators attended the school board meeting to welcome our new Superintendent, Guadalupe Guerrero, and lay out our union’s vision for public education. 

The Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) recently ruled in favor of the Portland Association of Teachers and against PPS. The case definitively established that substitute teachers are entitled to sick leave under the same law as regular contracted educators represented by the PAT. PPS must now withdraw all illegal contract proposals, including one that offers less sick leave than mandated by law. 

The United States Supreme Court officially announced they will take up a case called Janus v. AFSCME, which challenges “fair share” fees paid by non-members who benefit from union-bargained contracts. This case challenges the same issue as the Friedrichs case two years ago.

We are so excited to launch a listening campaign this fall.

With so much going on in our District, and in education nationwide, there couldn’t be a better time to talk seriously with our members about the challenges they’re facing and their hopes for the future.

We’ve set an ambitious goal of talking with 75 percent of our members this fall about what‘s working in our schools, and what’s getting in the way of teaching and learning.

We will be regularly updating you with progress. If you are interested in being a listener please sign up here.

During the 2016-17 school year, PAT members helped 30 colleagues in need thanks to contributions to the PAT Sick Leave Bank.  These colleagues had exhausted their accumulated leave balances, but were unable to work due to extended or recurring personal illness. But thanks to our contributions to the Sick Leave Bank, they were able to avoid the additional hardships of lost salary and lost insurance coverage.

Mt. Tabor Middle School teacher Matthew Bacon-Brenes is Oregon’s 2018 Teacher of the Year! We are so excited to have a PAT member represent us at the state and national level.

We are also proud of all the Mt. Tabor staff who wore their 2nd Year, No Contract buttons when Oregon Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Salam Noor came to honor Matthew!

Read more about Matthew’s extraordinary commitment to students here.

If you have earned enough credit to advance to another column on the salary schedule, our contract requires the District to pay you at this new level within twenty (20) days of the time you supplied the transcripts or other required verification to the District.  The salary advancements will not be retroactive. However credits verified by October 31st will be retroactive to the beginning of the school year. Check to make sure that PPS has received your verification and get an email, a receipt, or some other written confirmation from PPS that they have received the verification. 

The PAT contract has a $1,500 annual stipend for National Board certified teachers.  We expect this to be increased to $2,500 when our next contract is finalized.  Come learn how you can become National Board certified.  Find out about opportunities at the state level to get reimbursed for certification fees and how to waive Oregon licensure fees.  Find out how OEA supports you with a four-day Jump Start Seminar so you start the process on the right foot. The workshop will be held Thursday October 5^th, 5:00-6:00 PM at the PAT office. 

Free for OEA members. Register online at:  http://www.oregoned.org/stay-informed/nbct-workshops

Join classroom educators from around the state for the Oregon Education Association’s Advocacy Conference. Workshops include a broad range of issues, from how to build alliances with special education parents through the IEP process to how to get colleagues in your building involved in the union. OEA will cover travel and lodging costs for participating members. For more details, or to register, visit the OEA website.