NEA is a co-sponsor of what may be the largest Teach Truth Day of Action -June 10th since Zinn Education Project started & NEA co-sponsored 3-years ago. Get more info and resources here! PAT member Matt Reed is on the Portland organizing team for this important event. Please reach out to him for details at [email protected].

“For the past two summers, teachers rallied across the country at historic sites to speak out against anti-history education bills and to make public their pledge to teach the truth. These actions, the AAPF #Unbanned Book Tour, and the 2023 Freedom to Learn Day of Action, have been the only national protests of this dangerous legislation.” ~Zinn Education Project

Honoring and supporting LGBTQIA2+ students and PAT members is more important than ever. HRC reports, “So far this year, we’ve seen more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in states across the country. Many of these discriminatory bills target transgender kids, including dozens upon dozens of bills threatening to prevent them from receiving life-saving health care.” Just a few weeks ago one of our PPS elementary schools and staff members received threats over an upcoming pride event, resulting in the cancelation of the event over concerns for student safety. 

What can we do? Keep centering our students, keep doing the work to educate our community and each other, and keep our daily commitment to see and understand how intersectional identities exist in our schools and the joy, brilliance, beauty that comes from that. At the last quarterly meeting, SJCO was fortunate to have a member in attendance with vast experience centering LGBTQIA2+ students and allies.

They generously shared many materials developed in collaboration with students; due to threats to their personal safety, the Pride Resources are being re-worked to protect their identity before being made available on the PAT website. They also provided some information about GSA’s; Part 1 is below, “What is a GSA?”. Look for Part 2, “Why Elementary GSA’s Are Important,” in the next Advocate. Also, if you have materials to submit for Pride or any other History month, please email [email protected] and [email protected].

NEA is proud to be a co-sponsor of what we believe will be the largest Teach Truth Day of Action -June 10th since Zinn Education Project started and NEA co-sponsored 3-years ago. 

On June 10th and the week prior educators, parents and students will be stepping into their communities, historic monuments and at their state houses to support honest and accurate education that reflects and respects us - no exceptions.  

Please join NEA and Zinn Education Project, Wednesday, May 10th at 7pm ET/4PM PT for an important and inspiring organizing call.

RSVP here. Teach Truth Day of Action Orientation and Planning Workshop on Wednesday, May 10 at 7pm ET. Sign up here.

On this call you will:

·       Hear about some of the exciting events already being planned in your states

·       Find out how to hold an “event” and simple ways to get involved and where to access toolkits and partner resources

·       Learn about the support that will be provided on narrative framing and media outreach

We recognize the incredible work you all are doing in your states and want to make the most of our collective power this Spring as we join together in this day of action to protect our freedoms to learn, read, teach and thrive.

Please RSVP for the call to receive the Zoom links and feel free to share with other colleagues and partners as appropriate.

Wear your blue! Represent PAT at the Rose Festival

Rose Festival CityFair is FREE on Fridays.

Don’t miss the fun at Tom McCall Waterfront Park every Friday during Rose Festival. Present the coupon below at the Rose Festival’s CityFair box office at entry gates to receive FREE admission for up to 4 guests!

Archive: Past Events

Get in free and wear your PAT blues at Rose Festival-May 26, June 2, June 9th		Sellwood Garden Tour-June 4th		Teach Truth Day of Action -June 10th		PAT's Party in the Park-June 15th
SHOW PFSP UNION SOLIDARITY TONIGHT!		Juneteenth Week of Service with Don’t Shoot PDX-June 16-17th, June 19th		Artist Talk with Julian Gaines, June 19th		Pedalpalooza: The Worker's Ride-June 20th
SOLIDARITY ALERT: Providence Nurses on Strike-June 19-23rd						SOLIDARITY ALERT: Starbucks!

The PAT Instructional Practices and Professional Development (IPD) committee is inviting educators at all grade levels to a listening session about concerns with the new ELA adoptions. The listening session will be on Monday, May 15th at the PAT office from 4:30-6:30PM. Attendees are encouraged to bring books, artifacts, and specific examples from their curriculum. If you cannot attend, you can still leave comments regarding the adoptions in the RSVP form.

Please RSVP by May 12th so we can order enough food for everybody.

Rally for Strong Public Schools!

Dr. Prophet Education Center
Thursday, 4:30PM-6:30PM
Wear Blue! 
Families welcome!
RSVP Here!

Dear Educator,

Late Monday afternoon, PPS management canceled bargaining scheduled for this Thursday. On the agenda: educator compensation. 

This meeting would have been our 8th bargaining session since January, when we first shared our bargaining platform and proposals. By this point in negotiations, we expected to be discussing issues that matter most to educators and coming closer to resolution. Instead, PPS management has come to the bargaining table with little to say about the issues we’ve raised. On the issue of compensation, they’ve suggested that 2.5% cost of living adjustments would be all that it takes to ensure that jobs in PPS are competitive and attractive. 

Hundreds of educators had already RSVP’d yes to attend bargaining this Thursday to show PPS management our unity behind our bargaining team and vision. It is shameful that instead of meeting with educators, they canceled without rescheduling.

PPS Management’s actions mean much more than their words. By canceling bargaining for this Thursday and refusing to discuss the issues most important to educators, they are choosing to run away from us, hoping we’ll give up and give in to their vision.

Here’s what we have to ask ourselves:

• Are we willing to settle for 2.5% cost of living adjustments?
• Are we willing to settle for no change in class size or caseloads?
• Are we willing to settle for the status quo?

If your answer is NO to any of these questions, then we hope you’ll join us for a rally outside of Dr. Prophet Education Center (501 N. Dixon). Let’s make sure PPS Management knows we’re United for Strong Public Schools and refuse to be silenced!

Rally for Strong Public Schools!
Dr. Prophet Education Center
Thursday, 4:30PM-6:30PM
Wear Blue! 
Families welcome!
RSVP Here!

Mark your calendars!
PAT Week of Action, April 24th-28th

Dear educator,

Our union has been in contract negotiations for safe, sustainable and equitable schools since January. Our union put together a bargaining platform, based on surveys from educators, that lays out a path ensuring high quality and strong public schools now and for years to come. 

Despite our proposals and compelling testimony, PPS managers seem to believe that the status quo is working and should be maintained for years to come. It is time we take action to show PPS management that maintaining the status quo is not how we create great public schools. 

How much longer are we willing to wait for safe, sustainable and equitable schools?

Click here to sign up and commit to the actions YOU plan to take during this important week of action.

What patterns do you notice? One clear pattern is that PPS believes the status quo is what best serves our students and schools. It is time we reject this argument. Why? This flies in the face of what we experience each and every day in our schools. 

This is why we’re taking action during the week of April 24th-28th, to show PPS management that maintaining the status quo is not how we create great public schools. We do this by responding to the needs of our students and families and create the safe, sustainable and equitable schools our community deserves.

Click here to sign up and commit to the actions YOU plan to take during this important week of action.

More details coming soon from your head building representative or internal organizer. Make sure someone from your worksite attends our Wednesday, April 19th Representative Assembly to learn more. If you have questions, please write to our Internal Organizing Leads Erika Schneider ([email protected]) or Matt Reed ([email protected]).

Take care and enjoy your weekend!

In Solidarity,
Portland Association of Teachers
http://www.pdxteachers.org/

Saturday, April 29, 8am to noon

Meet up at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (411 NW Flanders St) and help clean up Portland’s historical Japantown and Chinatown neighborhood. SOLVE will provide trash grabbers, trash bags, work gloves and high-vis vests. Registration and more information.

SJCO meets monthly with our PPS partner union leadership to build relationships and learn how we can support mutual goals. We compare bargaining notes and action strategies. When we organize together, we win together! We are collaborating to host a PPS School Board Candidate Forum on April 30th, at 2:30 at the PAT office. Check with your building rep for more information!