Hello Educators,

As we near the end of the year, where Spring Break is just around the corner, take a deep breath. Congratulations to everyone for making it to the last quarter of the year!

Many of you are experiencing the difficult choice of deciding where to work next year (some by choice, others by unassignment), and I wish you all the best of luck. I know our union and bargaining team will continue to fight for the conditions that will keep you in our district serving our students. Thank you to all educators who filled out the personnel survey and spoke your truth. Thank you to all educators who wake up and come to work every day.

It is also a time for our Union advocacy work to ramp up. Shout out to all educators, union partners and community members who attended the PPS School Board meeting at McDaniel HS on Tuesday March 7th! 

We will continue to take actions to show management that the path we are going down is the wrong one. As I stated during my testimony, there are things profoundly wrong with our district and how those with power acknowledge and treat us. Unless we change our direction and culture, we will continue to fail our students, community and educators. We have said this before, but I want to make sure we make it clear: Educators want to feel like the work they do is sustainable, equitable, and stabilizing. We want to feel like the work is actually possible. Educators want to love working for PPS. 

Solidarity Forever

The beauty in our struggle is that we are not alone. Right now, we have several locals in the state and across the country going on strike or taking action in support of a strong contract and safe, equitable and sustainable public schools. We stand in solidarity with our Union Siblings in Silver Falls (SFEA) and Woodburn (WEA), who are also fighting for class size and caseload relief. We take great inspiration from their struggle and recognize their success is part of our bargaining struggle. We are appalled that the Woodburn administration would give themselves a 16 percent raise and offer teachers 3 percent. Shame on them! 

I just want to say: Don't stop until you win. When the time comes to stand with your community on the picket line for the schools your students deserve, Portland Teachers will be with you! Together, we can win the future we know is possible for our schools, students, and educators.

Keep an eye out for more PAT actions coming up, including the Bargaining Campaign Petitions we have sent to each school site. Please encourage your colleagues and non educator friends to sign on and show the district we have support behind us!

Take Care,
Angela Bonilla
PAT President