• June 11th, March for Our Lives
• July 14, 19-21, OEA Summer Conference Register here
• August 17th, New Educator Orientation-- RSVP to Volunteer
• August 22nd, Next PAT Rep Assembly

For all upcoming events, please see the PAT calendar and OEA calendar.

Portland Association of Teachers
http://www.pdxteachers.org/

PAT is seeking members to serve on next year’s  Advocacy Cadre. To apply, fill out this application form by June 27th. 

What is The PAT Advocacy Cadre? 

This small group of members will work closely with UniServ to become experts on our contract, and will provide member to member support.

The Advocacy Cadre will run a Zoom Advocacy Hotline, where Reps and other members can get immediate answers to questions about the contract and support to resolve problems in their buildings. 

In addition, the Advocacy Cadre will provide support with Rep Training, answering member emails to [email protected],org, and creating materials to help members better understand contract issues.

You can read about this year's Advocacy Cadre here: www.pdxteachers.org/pat_advocacy_cadre

Cadre Members Commit to:

• 2 days Advocacy Training on August 16th and 17th. (This will be held either live, or remotely, depending on safety recommendations at that time.)
• 1 Zoom Hotline shift a week, during the school year, Mondays, 4:30-6:30 at PAT. 
• Up to a half day twice a month to follow up on unresolved member needs from the Hotline shift (release time can be provided).
• In addition to answering the hotline, this time may include ongoing training and other advocacy work with Uniserv Reps. Additional dates may be added depending on need.
• This is a minimum 1-year opportunity and commitment, paid at the OEA cadre-rate ($33/hour). 

Responsibilities

• Assist Building Representatives and members who come to Zoom Advocacy Hotline;
• Respond to emails from members;
• Be a knowledgeable resource about the PAT contract and PAT systems for supporting members in different situations;
• Follow procedure to inform UniServ reps of issues, determining next steps;
• Potential additional release time/ pay for ongoing training or representation work;
• Potential to shadow UniServ Reps on assignment.

Qualifications

• Active PAT membership;
• Experience as a PAT building rep or other similar union experience preferred;
• Interest in continued union advocacy work;
• Special consideration given to applicants with an interest in pursuing work as a UniServ Consultant; 
• Special consideration given to applicants with characteristics that help create a group that represents the racial diversity of our membership, and of the job-types that our members hold.

Goals for PAT:

• Build capacity among members to enforce our contract, support member rights, and organize and problem solve in buildings;
• Develop leadership within PAT that represents the diversity of our membership demographics and workforce positions;
• Create a pathway toward UniServ work for interested members.

To apply

• Fill out application form by June 27th
• Interviews to be scheduled in mid July

Portland Association of Teachers
http://www.pdxteachers.org/

Teaching Against Climate Despair: A Climate Justice Teach-In

Monday, May 23, 2022

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, Virtual. 

Hosted by the Portland Public Schools Energy & Sustainability Team, co-sponsored by the PPS Climate Justice Committee and the Portland Association of Teachers

REGISTER HERE

Join us online as teachers from around Portland share how they creatively incorporate climate justice topics into their classrooms, from art and activism to Indigenous knowledge to the science and economics of a green future.

Let’s share how we equip our students to recognize the breadth of the climate emergency, to probe its social and economic causes, and to come to see themselves as activists for a just society and a stable climate. 

Panelists include:

Erika Alabarca, Roseway Heights Middle School — Erika is a 7th-grade social studies teacher at Roseway Heights, where she helps organize an after-school ECO club, and incorporates soil regeneration into her classes. She is an active member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee. 

Christina Aucutt, Grant High School — Christina teaches the Climate Justice elective at Grant High School, where she brings speakers from across Portland to tie climate justice education to real world issues and grassroots initiatives. 

Caitlin Blood, MITCH Charter School — Caitlin is a former farmer and agricultural advisor. She is the Director of Sustainability at MITCH Charter School, where she works to root classroom content in an agricultural framework. Her students explore math, language arts, science, and history through hands-on agricultural observation and practice.

Treothe Bullock, McDaniel High School — “Tre” teaches Climate Justice and Chemistry at McDaniel and is an active member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee. 

Joe Ferguson, Alliance High School — Joe is the Natural Resources, Science, and Instructional Facilitator at Alliance. He incorporates climate science and sustainability lessons into his classrooms, setting up wildlife cameras at Whitaker Ponds and partnering with Community Cycling Center for bike mechanic lessons. 

Rachel Hanes, Glencoe Elementary — Rachel is a 2nd-grade teacher, member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee, and active in the Portland Association of Teachers. Her teaching aims to connect students’ lives to climate issues, such as oil pipelines and forests. 

Jesse Hunter, Woodstock Elementary — Jesse is a 2nd-grade teacher at Woodstock School in Southeast Portland. He has led efforts to establish school gardens and garden education programs at Lent Elementary and Woodstock.

Suzie Kassouf, Grant High School — Suzie has a deep background in grassroots climate justice organizing. At Grant High School, she has focused on turning her classroom into a place for connection, community, justice, and love.  

Cat Phung, Growing Gardens — Cat is the North Portland Youth Grow Educator and Community Organizer for Growing Gardens. She is a first-generation Vietnamese American, gardener and cook, with a background in environmental science and outreach. 

Gerald Scrutchions, Grant High School — “Scutch” teaches Human Rights and Environmental Justice at Grant. He has been a mentor, educator, and advocate for many of the student climate activists from Tubman Middle School protesting the I-5 freeway expansion.

Tim Swinehart, Lincoln High School — Tim teaches environmental justice and is a member of the PPS Climate Justice Committee. He works with district staff to devise and implement policies to spread climate justice education across Portland Public Schools.

Dear Educator,

With less than a month left of the 2021-22 school year, I want to recognize how much you contribute to the lives of your students, to our profession, and to our union.  

This year brought two major waves of COVID-19, a nation-wide crisis of crushing workload, transitioning in and out of CDL learning at some schools, and a critical shortage of educators and school staff. 

Because of you, it also includes countless moments of connection, joy, and growth for the 45,000 students we serve. 

Our schools are only possible because of the unparalleled professionalism, commitment, and creativity of educators and school staff. Despite the uncertainty of our world today, educators create meaning, build community, and work toward a better future, every single day. 

As we draw toward the conclusion of this exhausting school year, I want you to know, you are deeply appreciated, and you are making a difference. You make every day better for your students, and you make our union stronger. 

One of our union’s most important goals is to ensure that next year will be a better year for students, and a better year for educators. That is why we have been advocating for PPS to amend its proposed Budget for 2022-2023, which still includes a reduction in the number of classroom educators and Special Education staff serving students next year. Please watch the remarks that PAT President-Elect Angela Bonilla and I delivered to the PPS board this week, and join us in advocating for a budget that prioritizes smaller class sizes and direct support to our students. 

In Solidarity,

Elizabeth Thiel

PAT President Thiel

Do you have unused sick leave hours? Please consider donating them to help support PAT members  facing serious health issues.

Members may donate up to 40 hours of sick leave annually. Employees who have already submitted their notice of resignation are exempted from this maximum limit, and may contribute as many hours as they would like. 

The PAT Sick Leave Bank (see PAT/PPS contract Article 17.2.1.2) provides aid for colleagues who have exhausted their accumulated leave balances and are unable to work due to extended or recurring personal illness. With the help of the Sick Leave Bank, they are able to avoid the additional hardships of lost salary and lost insurance coverage during their illness. 

You can donate hours using this online form, or go to our website for additional information.

It is time to elect your site’s PAT Building Representatives for next school year! Each site is entitled to one Representative for every nine members.

Reminders:

• Every site must hold a Rep election every year.
• Only PAT members can vote, and only PAT members can run to be a Rep.
• Each site should create a ballot and hold their election as soon as possible.

What do Building Reps do? Our union works because Reps do a lot! That’s why it is important to have a full team of Reps to share the load. 

Here are some of the responsibilities Reps take on: 

• Come to Representative Assemblies at PAT each month
• Hold meetings for PAT members at their site
• Educate members about our contract
• Advocate to protect member rights and due process
• Meet with building administrators to solve problems
• Organize members around issues at your site or in the District 

Ideally, each school has a diverse team of Reps that includes educators from a variety of grade levels and specialties, one that mirrors the racial and gender diversity of your site. Think about who you believe would be a good representative, and talk to them about running, too.

Our building elections are how we ensure that Reps at each site are trusted and respected leaders. It is crucial that members have a voice in who is representing them, and that everyone knows the process and has access to running and voting. If you’re interested in running to be a Rep, let your current Head Rep know.

For more information (including: How to Hold a Building Rep Election, Instructions for Creating Your Ballot (and the Ballot Template), Where to Report Your Elections Results, etc.), please visit www.pdxteachers.org/pat_elections

Election day is less than a week away! Make sure your voice is heard: Return your ballot by Tuesday, May 17th.

It’s not too late to support our PAT PAC-endorsed candidates. Let’s work together to get them into office so that they can fight for us, our students, and all Portlanders. Sign up with a campaign to knock on doors, send texts, make phone calls, or lend a hand in other ways:

Jo Ann Hardesty’s volunteer calendar

Sign-up to canvass for Jessica Vega Pederson, or find other ways to get involved

Help out AJ McCreary

Volunteer for Kaliko Castille

Here is the complete list of PAT PAC’s endorsed candidates. Learn more about them on our website.

Portland City Council

Position 2: AJ McCreary

Position 3: Jo Ann Hardesty

Multnomah County
Chair: Jessica Vega Pederson

District 2: Susheela Jayapal

Metro Council

President: Lynn Peterson

Oregon House of Representatives

HD 28: Dacia Grayber

HD 33: Maxine Dexter

HD 41: Kaliko Castille

HD 43: Tawna Sanchez

HD 44: Travis Nelson

HD 45: Thuy Tran

HD 46: Khanh Pham

Oregon Senate

SD 17: Elizabeth Steiner Hayward

Also check out OEA PAC’s endorsements for statewide candidates:

Governor: Tina Kotek

Oregon Labor Commissioner: Christina Stephenson

U.S. Senate: Ron Wyden

U.S. Congress (CD1): Suzanne Bonamici

U.S. Congress (CD2): No Recommendation

U.S. Congress (CD3): Earl Blumenauer

U.S. Congress (CD4): Val Hoyle

U.S. Congress (CD5): Jamie McLeod-Skinner

U.S. Congress (CD6): Andrea Salinas

Whomever you choose to vote for, make sure to get your ballots in by Tuesday, May 17!

The PAT PAC is funded entirely through member contributions, not through dues dollars. Learn more about the PAT PAC here.

Our PAT Social Justice Committee invites you to celebrate ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH with your students. Please see our website for engagement opportunities and resources, including:

• Lessons and Resources for your classroom
• AAPI Read Alouds
• AAPI Affinity Space
• Community Events
• And more!

Thank you to the educators who gathered these resources. Please read this note from Karen Liao, of our PAT AAPI Month Planning Committee:

I teach 2nd grade and have a student who consistently uses the word "American" when they mean "white." I'll remind them that Americans can be any race and they will apologize and change their language.. until our next discussion about race. I'm not upset with them because there is so much in mainstream culture that conflates “American” with whiteness. For me, this is the importance of AAPI Month -- when we can learn about and teach about the foundational roles AAPI have in America, not just in terms of infrastructure, labor, and culture, but also in terms of who gets to be an American. (Every elementary teacher should have I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough, Grace Lin, and Julia Kuo in their classroom.) If you are planning on teaching about Lunar New Year, or cultural practices and traditions from Asian or Pacific Islander homelands, STOP! Teach that any other month besides this one. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander American Month. 

On Tuesday, May 10th, Dr. Proctor’s office sent an email about a teacher professional learning plan. The same information went out in Teacher Connect earlier that day. 

When district senior leadership shared an earlier draft of this plan with us at Instructional Practices Council (IPC), our main feedback was a deep concern that school-based classroom teachers were not part of the plan’s development. While we cannot turn back time and include varied teacher perspectives from the beginning of this plan’s development, we suggested ways in which teachers can be involved going forward.

If you have read the letter from Dr. Proctor’s office, you can see that they have taken our advice and are making an effort to seek out teacher input. We encourage you to review the professional learning plan in this slide deck. You can also have a look at this FAQ and submit any questions still unanswered via this form. These are all linked in the email from Dr. Proctor’s office and Teacher Connect as well. 

And please join us at IPD Committee meeting next week, Wed., May 18th, 4:30 - 5:30 PM to hear from Kristina Howard, Interim Director of Teacher Professional Learning about how this plan has been developed so far. This will also be a time to ask about anything not clarified for you on the FAQ and give any additional feedback you may have. 

Information about how to join this meeting will be sent soon from the PAT office.

You may have seen the communication in this week’s Teacher Connect about the Instructional Framework Advisory Group. We wanted to share some more information with you and encourage you to share your input with our district leadership.

As with everything else, our message to senior district leadership around the Instructional Framework Development has been that teachers must be involved as full participants with agency to make decisions and shape final outcomes. When we were asked to nominate only 8 teachers for an advisory group to represent the diversity of our over 4,000 members we declined to participate in such a flawed process. Fortunately, the outcome of this was an open and honest discussion between PPS and PAT leadership about what it means to collaborate and how we can support each other to work together towards shared goals for our students.

The practical results are as follows:

• On April 19, PPS Leadership emailed all teachers directly to ask for participants for an advisory group
• Over 100 teachers indicated interest and 25 were invited to join the advisory group. There is also a group of 13 TOSAs and Mentor Teachers who were invited by their department heads to join.
• To provide district-wide transparency, PPS Senior Leadership willingly agreed to:
  •  Share the names and roles of everyone on the core design team and also a summary of the work that has already been done. You can find that information here.
  • Create a google site with all documents, meeting materials, and recordings of meetings for the Advisory Group. In addition, every page on this site has a feedback form linked at the bottom and there is an FAQ which will be regularly updated.
  • Send weekly updates in Admin Connect and Teacher Connect which will also contain a link to the feedback form.

We have also shared our concerns about The New Teacher Project (TNTP) – both about the organization’s ties to corporate ed reformers and the fact that they’re outside contractors who have been hired during a time when schools are losing teaching positions. This remains an area where we do not see eye-to-eye.

Again, we encourage all members to share questions, ideas, experiences, and whatever else might help inform decisions about the development of the Instructional Framework via the pathways indicated above.

Deadline: The deadline this year is Friday, May 13th, 2022 (for Contract Exceptions for next academic year). Contract Exceptions are welcomed prior to this date. When Contract Exceptions are received before the deadline, it provides more time for documents to be reviewed and questions to be answered. At times, the Advocacy Committee needs additional information prior to making a decision. Find the Contract Exception form here. 

What is a Contract Exception: A Contract Exception is a process that allows a worksite to apply for an exception to the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). While creating exceptions to our contract language is not encouraged, we recognize that specific worksites may have a specific need for a given year. This process allows for that need to be considered. Contract Exceptions must be approved by the PAT Advocacy Committee and the District prior to implementation. A contract exception is valid only for the school year for which it was approved. 

Who decides if my school should submit an exception for approval: Contract Exceptions are member driven, so should be initiated by educators. 

If referencing a previous year’s form, double check that you have the correct article number. Here is the current contract.

Some key things to remember:

• The article number needs to be specific (eg 7.7.1) to the requested exception.
• Double check your math.
• You MUST include copies of schedules or calendars that reflect the current and proposed changes. Identify changes to teacher hours, student hours, planning time, etc. 
• Consider and address the impact on Specialists vs. Gen Ed teachers.
• Required: What is the option for members who oppose the exception?
• Head reps should always be involved in the contract exception process at a site.
• Review the FAQ’s here.

Role of the Committee when reviewing:

• Protect member rights
• Support member needs
• Ensure the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 
• Do no harm to the bargaining process and/or open grievances

Come join us on Friday, May 20th at 3:45 PM (or anytime after school) at Laurelhurst Park to help celebrate the (almost) end of the school year! It’s been over two years since we’ve been able to hold our annual Party in the Park, so we are excited to finally be able to gather together again! Food and drinks will be provided (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Please feel free to bring your families, too!

RSVP here today

The PAT Racial Equity Committee is excited to host another social for PAT educators of color. Let’s toast to surviving the school year! Join us for food, fun & fellowship. Dinner and drinks will be provided at this family-friendly event at Amalfi’s, May 27th from 4:00-7:00 PM. RSVP today!

See the animated flyer!

PAT is thrilled to celebrate and reflect on the careers of all of our retiring PAT educators. We will also be honoring the PAT officers and executive board directors and their service to PAT. Retiring educators will receive an invitation soon with more details for the celebration happening on Wednesday, June 8 at 4:30pm.

Registration is now open for the OEA Summer Conference in Bend, OR! Two distinct conference opportunities will be offered to fit your needs:  

Virtual Conference: Thursday, July 14  

In-Person Conference: Tues., July 19 - Thurs., July 21 Riverhouse Hotel on the Deschutes 3075 N Hwy 97, Bend, OR 97703 

Register today! See our flier here

May Primary Dates

• May 17th - Primary Election Day
• Drop off ballots by 8:00 PM May 17th

PAT Socials

• May 20th, 3:45 PM: End of Year Party in the Park RSVP here (All PAT members and their families are invited.)
• May 26th, 4:30 PM: PAT AAPI Social RSVP here (PAT members who identify as Asian or Pacific Islander are all invited.)
• May 27th, 4:30 PM: Educators of Color Social RSVP here (PAT members who identify as a person of color are all invited.)
• June 8th, 6:30 PM: Retirement Celebration (for PAT members who are retiring this year, and their guests. More details to come.)

PAT Rep Assembly and Committee Meetings- Join the committee mailing list to receive a Zoom Link.

• May 11th, 4:30-6:30 PM: May PAT Rep Assembly
• May 18th, 4:30-6:30 PM: IPD Committee Meeting
• May 25th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Legislative Committee Meeting
• May 25th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Racial Equity Committee Meeting
• May 25th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Membership Committee Meeting
• May 26th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Social Justice/Community Outreach Committee Meeting*
• May 26th, 4:30-6:30 PM: Substitute Committee Meeting*

*These meetings have been moved to Thursday over the usual Wednesday scheduling

**Unless otherwise noted, all PAT committee meetings will be held virtually on Zoom for the time being

OEA Events

July 14, 19-21, OEA Summer Conference Register here

For all upcoming events, please see the PAT calendar and OEA calendar.

• Presentation Slides to May 11th RA
• Standing Rules for Virtual Rep Assemblies
• Submit written questions during RA
• May 11th RA Agenda
• Rep Assembly April 6th Meeting Minutes
• E-Board March 16 Meeting Business
• Thiel and Bonilla Remarks to the Board, 5.10.22
• Rep Elections
  • How to Hold a Building Rep Election
  • Instructions for Creating Your Ballot, and Ballot Template
  • Go to our website for more on rep elections
  • Report election results
• Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Ask Substitutes to Join PAT, Include in Substitute Plans
• Teacher Professional Learning Plan 
  • Overview Slides
  • FAQ (PPS Google Sign-in required)
  • Feedback/Questions Form
• Instructional Framework Advisory Group
  • Google Site for Updates
• Upcoming Socials
  • AAPI Social
  • EOC Social
  • Party in the Park
  • Retiring Educators Celebration
• The Advocate, May 11th, 2022
• May Checklist for Building Reps
• 10-Minute Meeting Slides to use at your site

The Advocate, May 11, 2022

1. President’s Message
2. Donate to Sick Leave Bank Today
3. Time for PAT Rep Elections
4. Primary Election- Vote by May 17th
5. Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Month
6. Professional Learning Plan
7. Instructional Framework Advisory Group
8. Contract Exceptions Due 5/13/2022
9. PAT’s End-of-Year Party in the Park- May 20th
10. PAT's Educators of Color Social, May 27th
11. PAT's Retiree and Outgoing Officers Celebration June 8th
12. Register for OEA Summer Conference
13. Upcoming Events

Dear Educator, 

At the PPS School Board meeting on April 19, the board passed its resolution to recognize Teacher and Administrator Appreciation Week, May 2-6, 2022. The board invited me to give remarks, which you can read below: 

Good Evening Chair DePass, Vice Chair Scott, Student Rep Weingard, Deputy Superintendent Hertz, and members of the Board,

Thank you for taking the time this evening to reflect on and appreciate the incredible value of our professional educators in Portland Public Schools. 

As a PPS parent myself, I could not be more grateful to the educators at Vernon and McDaniel who have had such a deep impact on my own children, teaching them not just knowledge and skills, but also, how to be in community, how to create positive change, and how to pursue what you love, embrace what makes you unique, and support others to do the same.

As the President of the Portland Association of Teachers, I have the incredible honor of representing more than 4,000 educators in PPS, some of the most dedicated and community-minded workers in our society. Every educator I know chose this profession because of a profound belief in the promise of our youth, a passion for learning, and a steadfast commitment to building a more just and equitable society.

This passion and commitment is on display every single day, in every school, in countless interactions with students. 

As you all know, these last two years have been an incredibly challenging time for our profession. Educators have had to redesign their practices over and over, and have been there at every step to support students facing unprecedented struggles and challenges. 

Despite the uncertainty in our society, educators do more than seems possible to make each day joyful, responsive, and productive, for every student that comes through their door.

And this year, even educators with 10, 20, 30 years of experience have faced challenges beyond what they have ever seen. I think we can all agree that what schools provided before the pandemic is not adequate to meet the needs of today.

Knowing that, teachers across the District ask themselves every day: What do these students need now? What is most important? How can I provide it for them?

Just so, as a district, we need to ask: What do our students need now? And what do educators need to provide it for them? 

As we reflect on the value of our professional educators, please know that the things that educators need to feel appreciated are the same things that inspired us to become educators in the first place: 

First, educators want the teaching and learning conditions that honor the role that public education plays in our society and in our students' lives. This includes clean and safe school buildings and classrooms. (Thank you to our custodians. We need more of them, and we need to pay them a fair wage). And it includes support for our students in the building, including whole-child enrichments, and more Special Education and ELL staff. 

Second, educators want to the be provided the tools we need to meet the needs of our students, including time in the workday to plan, collaborate, and communicate with families, and smaller class sizes and caseload so we can give each student the attention they deserve

Finally, educators ask to be treated as the professionals we are, and to be listened to all year long. 

In Solidarity,

Elizabeth Thiel

PAT President

The PAT Nominations & Elections (N&E) Committee announced that there will be an interim election for two PAT Executive Board Director positions on Wednesday, May 11th, 2022 (terms of positions are July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023).

Nominations for these positions opened at the April RA on April 6th, 2022, and will close at 5:00 PM on Monday, May 2nd, 2022. To nominate yourself for these positions, please use this nomination form. 

 Nomination forms must be submitted electronically to Jennifer Dixon ([email protected]) by 5:00 p.m. on May 2nd, 2022.  Any PAT member in good standing may run for this position. Non-members are not eligible to run for an elected union office. Learn more about Executive Board Director responsibilities.

In accordance with our bylaws, the Representative Assembly will elect the interim eboard directors. Voting will occur at the May 11th Virtual RA. Only elected reps, who are registered for the RA and present during the time of voting, will be permitted to vote. There will be no nominations from the floor due to our online format. 

Candidate speeches will be given at the May RA. The Voters’ Pamphlet and Ballots will be sent electronically to building representatives in attendance at the May 11th PAT RA.

For more information, you can refer to the Nomination Letter to All Members (from the PAT Nominations and Elections Committee, which was also linked in the April 6 Advocate), or to the PAT Nominations and Elections Handbook.

Deadline: The deadline this year is Friday, May 13th, 2022 (for Contract Exceptions for next academic year). Contract Exceptions are welcomed prior to this date. When Contract Exceptions are received before the deadline, it provides more time for documents to be reviewed and questions to be answered. At times, the Advocacy Committee needs additional information prior to making a decision. Find the Contract Exception form here. 

What is a Contract Exception: A Contract Exception is a process that allows a worksite to apply for an exception to the terms and conditions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). While creating exceptions to our contract language is not encouraged, we recognize that specific worksites may have a specific need for a given year. This process allows for that need to be considered. Contract Exceptions must be approved by the PAT Advocacy Committee and the District prior to implementation. A contract exception is valid only for the school year for which it was approved. 

Who decides if my school should submit an exception for approval: Contract Exceptions are member driven, so should be initiated by educators. 

If referencing a previous year’s form, double check that you have the correct article number. Here is the current contract.

Some key things to remember:

• The article number needs to be specific (eg 7.7.1) to the requested exception.
• Double check your math.
• You MUST include copies of schedules or calendars that reflect the current and proposed changes. Identify changes to teacher hours, student hours, planning time, etc. 
• Consider and address the impact on Specialists vs. Gen Ed teachers.
• Required: What is the option for members who oppose the exception?
• Review the FAQ’s here.

Role of the Committee when reviewing:

• Protect member rights
• Support member needs
• Ensure the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 
• Do no harm to the bargaining process and/or open grievances

Like the PAT,  the union that represents custodians and nutrition service workers, SEIU 503, is entering contract negotiations with the District this year. They have been advocating at School Board meetings and in the community that the District demonstrates how much it values their work by paying them a living wage.

Even though PPS has more than 60 full-time custodian positions posted, they continue to go unfilled. The lack of custodial staff means that the custodial workers on the job cannot keep up with the demanding workload of keeping classrooms and bathrooms clean.

An SEIU survey found 72% of workers report they are too short-staffed to keep up with current needs, 48% say the problem is getting worse and nearly one in five say they are not likely to return to work at the District in the upcoming school year.  

The PAT stands in solidarity with SEIU’s demands on the District: 

• Pay competitive wages. Starting wages of $14.40 an hour for cafeteria staff and $16.70 for custodians will not attract or retain quality workers. 
• Hire enough staff so these essential workers can make our schools safe, healthy places for the children in our community. 

Show your solidarity and take action by signing SEIU’s petition We Need Safe and Healthy Schools! 

Please save the date: SEIU rally at Cleveland High School, June 7th @ 6:00pm. More info coming soon.

Come join us on Friday, May 20th at 3:45pm (or anytime after school) at Laurelhurst Park to help celebrate the (almost) end of the school year! It’s been over two years since we’ve been able to hold our annual Party in the Park, so we are excited to finally be able to gather together again! Food and drinks will be provided (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Please feel free to bring your families, too!

RSVP here today