OEA is taking applications for a *new* grant opportunity. Education Empowerment grants are awarded to help local associations engage members around important issues that impact teaching and learning. The grant may be used to support professional learning and/or to enhance and improve professional practice in a specific area. This grant should focus on solving an issue that will create a lasting impact on professional practice in a local. It is not meant to be used to purchase consumable materials and/or classroom supplies.

CRITERIA:

• Any local Oregon Education Association member is eligible to apply for a grant during the grant cycle to be used to support professional practice.
• Grant applicants must have communicated their intent to apply to their local association President.
• Grants must relate to engaging members on professional practice issues and should not be used for consumable materials and/or classroom supplies.

• Grant applications must be received by October 15, 2021 for review and consideration.
• Grant requests should correspond with the local association and/or school district’s mission/vision/goals.
• Grant awards from $1000 - $5000

DEADLINES:

• All applications are due October 15, 2021.
• All projects must be completed by June 15, 2022.
• All grant final reports are due by June 30, 2022.

Please review the application here to see specific questions and information requested. If you would like to apply, please contact PAT President Elizabeth Thiel ([email protected]) to set up a time to discuss your proposed application.

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

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 #1 trainings being offered coming up:

• Thursday, September 16th from 4:30 to 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

September 15th is the beginning of Latinx Heritage Month!

Celebrate with your Students! Cultura Hispana Heritage Month Books Please use these recordings in your classroom of PAT Educators reading to students.  Pedro Cordero, Elementary School Social Worker Reads El Flamboyán Amarillo by Georgina Lázaro Kenya Marquez from Lent Elementary Reads I Am Latino by Sandra Pinkney Ginger Huizar, Beaumont Middle School, reads Gabby Lost and Found. Timisha Wilson from Arleta K-8 reads IslandBorn by Junot Diaz.
Resources for your Classroom The PAT Racial Equity Committee and the Social Justice Committee have pulled together a wide variety of resources including: K-5 Scope and Sequence Example K-5 Exploring Identity Activities Online Lessons for K-12 High-School Chicano Identity Activities and Resources Latinx Book List Find more resources for educators here.
Latinx Heritage Books for Children Elementary School Level Books Middle School Level Books High School Level Books E-Books from Multnomah County Library

PAT’s Bargaining Committee is both different from and crucial to our PAT Bargaining Team. Under PAT Bylaws, the Bargaining Committee "shall assist the collective bargaining teams in research and the development of the Association’s proposals under guidelines established by the Executive Board" (Bylaws, ARTICLE 10, Section 3). The Committee does the leg work to help us be more informed, efficient and effective during bargaining.

We are currently seeking new members for the Bargaining Committee. We are looking for a racially diverse group of members who also hold a diverse array of positions within the district. The more perspectives we add to the table, the better solutions we can find. Space will be limited to ensure no one position or community is given undue representation.

If you are interested, please fill out this Bargaining Committee Interest Form.

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

Good Afternoon Comrades, 

Keep raising hope,