Hello PAT Educators,

Yesterday our bargaining team met with PPS leaders to continue our discussion of the safety and behavior issues affecting so many of our buildings (watch the full session on the PAT youtube channel).

Many thanks to special education teachers Ginger Huizar (formally from George Middle School & now at Atkinson Elementary School) and Nate Farrell (from Marysville Elementary School) for sharing their firsthand experiences of what’s actually happening in special education classrooms across PPS. They detailed how special education staffing shortages and lack of supports are now impacting entire buildings, and what frontline educators need to truly serve our students. 

Our bargaining team finished presenting the changes we want to see in our contract related to safety and discipline (see PAT’s full Article 9 proposal), including setting environmental standards for all our buildings. 

No one should have to sidestep rat droppings on the way to a student’s desk or teach in a room without electricity or where the temperature is below 60 degrees or above 90 degrees. 

But meeting even these basic standards is proving to be a challenge for PPS, as we’ve seen firsthand in many of our buildings this week.

Unfortunately, the District has a very different plan for how to address these issues, which boils down to putting even more of the responsibility on classroom educators (see the District’s full proposal for Article 9).

Stay tuned for more details on our next bargaining session in two weeks, and thanks to the many buildings that are posting their “PAT Blue” pictures online. We’re all in this together.

In Solidarity,

Your PAT Bargaining Team

Steve Lancaster, Chair
Francisca Alvarez
Samara Bockelman
Julia Fogg
Thea Keith
Charity Powell
http://www.pdxteachers.org/