The Advocate - May 9, 2018

1. President's Message: Showing Real Appreciation for Teachers
2. Educators Endorse Candidates for May Election
3. Responding to Your Evaluation Report
4. Compensation Review: Deadline June 1st
5. Retroactive Credit for Master's Degree: Deadline June 1st
6. Progress at the OEA Representative Assembly
7. Bargaining Chair Steve Lancaster Wins State Award
8. Chess for Success
9. Boycott Burgerville
10. Let's Engage!
11. Special Education Social: Thursday, May 17^th
12. PAT Substitute Workshop: Multnomah County Library, Monday, May 21^st
13. National Board Certification Workshop: Thursday, May 31^st

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Thank you for all you do for our students, our District, and our union. We appreciate you being an active member of PAT. Because of you, we have a strong, collective voice.

Thanks especially to the members who attended the May 8^th School Board meeting, where we were able to celebrate the achievements of our colleagues who were recognized for their outstanding work. Congratulations to Tiana Ahmann, Martha Bryan, Trevor Butenoff, Kelly Dwight, Ben Ellenwood, Camila Arze Torres Goitia, Kathryn Moore, Kirsten Parrott, Gage Reeves, Tai Said-Hall, and Henise Telles-Ferreira.

The Portland Association of Teachers Political Action Committee (PAT PAC) and the Oregon Education Association Political Action Committee (OEA PAC) have endorsed the following candidates for the May 2018 primary election. The PAT PAC board considers candidates’ positions on public education, their commitment to union values, their alignment to PAT strategic goals including racial equity, and their electability. We look forward to working with these candidates to improve our schools, and move our state, city, and county to better support our students and families.

You can see the full list of candidates endorsed by the Oregon Education Association here.

On Monday, April 16^th, you should have received an email from to your PPS account from “PAT Salary Review”. If you think you might at all qualify, please fill out the link.

You do not need to email the PAT office to let us know or ask us if you should fill out the form, just go for it!

It’s also important to be aware that sending the info to PAT does not fulfill the requirement to submit your request for salary placement review to the District.

Here is the content of the email:

If you feel that any aspect of the Teacher Evaluation Report you received is incomplete, inaccurate, or unjust, you may submit a written rebuttal statement/objection to the evaluator and request that it be attached to the Evaluation Report.  It will become a permanent part of your personnel file.

The rebuttal should normally be submitted within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Evaluation Report. Write it carefully and have a trusted colleague review it before you submit it.

In their April 16^th email addressing compensation review, the District also spelled out how educators can get credit for Master’s degrees earned prior to licensure. If you think you might at all qualify, please fill out the link below.

The email states:

Many thanks to the members who represented PAT as delegates at the 2018 OEA Representative Assembly on April 27^th and 28^th. We had a full day of business on Saturday, and PAT members brought forward and passed several new business items, including:

Our Bargaining Chair and Lincoln High School teacher, Steve Lancaster, was an award recipient at the annual Oregon Education Banquet Ceremony. Though our class size language isn’t perfect, it is the first of its kind in Oregon and will help push the legislature to make class size a mandatory subject of bargaining. Congratulations Steve, and all of you for the collective effort!

Vangie Shaw, a long-term PPS educator and PAT leader passed away earlier this year. She asked that contributions be made to Chess for Success. PAT was able to purchase a table at the Chess for Success luncheon and invite PAT members who are coaches to attend as well. We were happy to honor Vangie by contributing to a great organization. Special thanks to Ben Kiggen, Craig Switalla, Kyle Cooke, Maria Hernandez, Ron Morgan, and Spencer McEwan for attending the luncheon and being coaches for this worthwhile program. 

On April 23^rd workers at Burgerville store #41 on 92nd and Powell voted 18 to one in favor of union recognition. This makes their branch of the Burgerville Workers Union (BVWU) the first to win official recognition from the National Labor Relations Board. Workers are asking supporters to boycott Burgerville until the company agrees to bargain with the union.