Apply for and OEA Promising Practice Grant

Every year, OEA gives Promising Practice Grants to educators to support student learning and professional development for OEA members across Oregon. This year, there is $2,000 available for grants to PAT members. Members may apply for grant funds up to $1,000.

Grants can be used to fund projects or materials that support improved student achievement. The application is fully online this year and available here. 

Some examples of past projects funded by the Promising Practice Grant are:

• A library of books with QR codes attached that link to a video of the book being read in ASL for families of students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
• Supporting Latinx students through a MECHA conference.
• Books for classroom libraries featuring main characters who are People of Color so that students see themselves in literature.

Timeline:

• November 1, 2021 - Applications due. No late applications will be accepted.
• December 1, 2021 - PAT IPD Committee will review grant applications from our Council members.
• December 10, 2021 - Final decisions communicated to applicants
• December 13 - 17, 2021 - Grants for those awarded will be processed and distributed by OEA
• June 30, 2022 - Final grant summary due to OEA Center for Great Public Schools

Criteria:

In the event that, among qualifying grant applications, there are more funds requested than are available, IPD Committee will prioritize grant requests that fulfill the following criteria:

• Grant applicant is a first time applicant
• Project or idea which serves a historically underserved population
• Project or idea which serve large numbers of students
• Grant applicant is an early-career educator

While we recognize the unique and challenging circumstance educators confronted last week as we returned to our schools, we hope the first week of school went well for you all. 

We are super excited to share with you the fall 2021 PAT Building Rep training calendar. If you are a brand new Rep, we encourage you to attend one of the Rep Fundamentals trainings being offered coming up:

• Thursday, November 18th 4:30-6:30 PM
• Thursday, December 2nd 4:30-6:30 PM

Please RSVP here for one of these sessions. (At the same link, you can register for other trainings coming up this fall and winter.)

We are calling these “Rep Fundamentals” not because they offer material that is basic, but because they review skills and knowledge that is most important for being a great Building Rep.

In addition to 4 distinct modules for Rep Fundamentals, we are thrilled to be offering a 5-part training series on Racial Justice for PAT Building Reps, specially designed for PAT by the University of Oregon’s Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) in collaboration with members of last year’s PAT Advocacy Cadre. You can register and read more about these workshops here. 

Our hope is that Reps will cycle through all of the classes on Rep Fundamentals and Racial Justice for Reps over the course of the school year. 

And for you more seasoned Reps, PAT will be offering training on advanced topics for Reps throughout the year. These advanced trainings are still in the process of being developed so please keep an eye out for updates. 

In Solidarity,

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

Previous trainings:

• Saturday, September 11th from 10:00 AM  to noon
• Thursday, September 16th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM
• Saturday, September 25th 10 AM to noon 
• Thursday, October 7th 4:30-6:30 PM
• **Postponed** Saturday, October 16th 9:00 AM-3:00 PM 
• Thursday, October 21st 4:30-6:30 PM
• **Cancelled** Saturday, November 6th 9:00 AM-3:00 PM

We are excited again this year to organize around different diversity months that represent the uniqueness of our students, educators and communities , as part of the work of our Social Justice and Community Outreach Committee and partnership with the Racial Equity Committee. 

We are continuing our work with the 4 heritage months below, and adding 2 more to celebrate Diversity Months throughout the year.

• Latinx/Chicanx/Hispanic Month (September/October)
• LGBTQIA+ Month (October)
• Indigenous/Native American Month (November)
• Black Lives Matter Week of Action/Black History Month (February)
• Asian/Pacific Islander Month (May)
• Disability Pride Month (June/July)

We are seeking educators who want to help in the planning of these months. We will give priority to educators who represent each month for the planning teams. We will also try to make teams that represent all grade levels as much as possible. We will send an email a month or two prior to the month to begin planning. 

Sign up here if you are interested in helping plan any of these months. Please email Alisha Chavez ([email protected]) and Julie Whitaker ([email protected]) if you have any questions. 

Find more information on all our heritage months on our Social Justice/Community Outreach page.

Portland Association of Teachers

http://www.pdxteachers.org/

Register Today

Download the Series Flyer

OEA Welcome Back Webinar Series Continues:

Wednesday, September 29th, 4:00-5:00 PM 

Student engagement remains a top priority for educators as we welcome students back into the traditional classroom. Educators will use this session to develop or improve on SEL and safe space practices. With an emphasis on communication and practices building empathy, participants will work to improve their EQ within themselves and within their instructional practice. Building relationships and making connections is critical in these unprecedented times, and by doing so we can increase student engagement in rigorous curricular lessons. This webinar leverages breakout rooms and digital collaboration for an interactive experience. Click here to register! 

Please visit OEA's website for more information.

Did you miss a webinar? No problem. Access the OEA Grow EdCommunity Archive and earn 1 PDU credit for each webinar watched. This archive is password protected and only available to OEA members. If you have trouble creating a login, please e-mail [email protected]

See the link for the full catalog of Fall 2021 OEA Professional Learning Opportunities

OEA Welcome Back Webinar Series Continues:

Wednesday, October 27, 4:00-5:00 PM

Self-care is often the first thing that gets ignored when life becomes stressful. Taking care of yourself will help you to better care for your students. This webinar will help you define and better understand the importance of self-care and become a self-care advocate for yourself and others. Click here to register!

Please visit OEA's website for more information.

Did you miss a webinar? No problem. Access the OEA Grow EdCommunity Archive and earn 1 PDU credit for each webinar watched. This archive is password protected and only available to members. If you have trouble creating a login, please e-mail [email protected]

See the link for the full catalog of Fall 2021 OEA Professional Learning Opportunities

OEA is proud to announce a new webinar series to welcome back educators with new and relevant topics. This series will be held virtually on the last Wednesday of the month from 4:00-5:00 PM.

Student engagement remains a top priority for educators as we welcome students back into the traditional classroom. Educators will use this session to develop or improve on SEL and safe space practices. With an emphasis on communication and practices building empathy, participants will work to improve their EQ within themselves and within their instructional practice. Building relationships and making connections is critical in these unprecedented times, and by doing so we can increase student engagement in rigorous curricular lessons. This webinar leverages breakout rooms and digital collaboration for an interactive experience.

Click here to register!

Did you miss a webinar? No problem. Access the OEA Grow EdCommunity Archive and earn 1 PDU credit for each webinar watched. This archive is password protected and only available to members. If you have trouble creating a login, please e-mail [email protected]

See the link for the full catalog of Fall 2021 OEA Professional Learning Opportunities

You are invited to a Zoom meet and greet with OEA president-elect Reed Scott-Schwalbach and OEA vice president-elect Enrique Farrera.

Join members from the Portland and Mt Hood UniServ areas to meet with Reed and Enrique between 5:00 - 6:00 PM for conversation, raffle prizes, and more.  Can’t make it?  See the OEA website “Events” for other dates.

When: Thursday June 24, 2021 5:00 – 6:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Please register in advance:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtceGqqTopGdQgQfxfVge0HuaMNbrbmJWm

OEA 2021 Summer Conference Register Today

July 19-23, 2021
Virtual Conference through OEA Events App

The OEA 2021 Summer Conference is virtual this year and offers a wealth of workshops and seminars covering topics important to our members in their classrooms, community, and union organizing. 

Each morning will start with two content sessions, with opportunities for networking and office hours in the afternoons. OEA values your time, and encourages you to register for the courses that best meet your learning needs and your personal schedule. Below is a sampling of the topics covered that week (some sessions offer PDU credit).

• Building Our Local Leaders: Distributive
  Leadership in Action
• Confronting White Nationalism in Schools
• Engaging Our Newest Hires: Success from
  the Field
• Integrating an Inclusive History and Social
  Science Curriculum in Your K-2 Classroom
• Introduction to Grievances: Grieve, Gripe,
  Grumble?
• Peer Conflict Resolution and Mediation
  Strategies
• School and College Board Elections
• Strong Start for the Fall: Building Community
• The Role of a Building Representative in an
  Organizing Union
• Transgender Inclusion
• Weighted Workload: A Student-Centered
  Approach 

Download the program for the whole schedule and topics lined up for that week. A condensed participant agenda is also available. 

This Friday, April 16th at 3:30pm, the Asian and Pacific Islander Month Planning Committee, will be hosting a community healing event for the Asian and Pacific Islander community. 

If you are an educator who identifies as Asian, Pacific Islander, mixed, Hapa, multiracial, etc. you are welcome! 

You are enough. 

There is no gatekeeping--no one will ask "how" you qualify to be in the circle (though you can share how you identify if that feels good). 

You are enough. 

Join us and spread the word. Here is the zoom link to join.