Hot Temperatures at Schools

Last year PAT deployed several hundred thermometers to sites. Please place the thermometer in the hot classrooms in your building and take pictures of the temperatures. We are asking you to share the thermometer amongst impacted members/classrooms in your school and take a picture in every room 80°F or hotter.

  • Email your picture to [email protected] with subject line: Temp at [insert your School Name]. 

  • Email your picture & concern to your principal. Feel free to use this script: 

“Dear [Insert Administrator Name], 

Many of our colleagues have come to me with concerns about extreme temperatures in our building. There is a heat wave in the forecast for next week. What is PPS’ plan to implement their Heat Mitigation Plan in our school building?

It is against Oregon OSHA regulations to work under extreme heat [OAR 437-002-0156 – see pp. J-91 to J-107 of https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHARules/div2/div2J.pdf]. We want to make sure we are communicating with PAT members and families how building temperatures are being brought down to safe levels.” 

What if the heat is not mitigated at my site?

Educators should work closely with their building administrators if their classroom becomes too warm, and administrators will work to identify cooler areas and move students if needed. If there is no resolution, please file a complaint with Oregon OSHA (here’s a guide for how to do so). Here is a VIDEO to help you understand the process, and you can file a complaint with OSHA HERE.