Arab American History Month (April)

Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American History Month (May)

https://www.pdxteachers.org/sjco_heritage_history_months

Do YOU or your team have resources to share with us? Please email [email protected] and [email protected]. Thank you!

We hope you will join us for our annual PAT PAC Membership* Meeting on Wednesday, April 26, from 6:30-7:30 PM. This meeting will be over Zoom. Please USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER.

At this meeting you will:

• Learn about our endorsed candidates for the May primary election, and ways that you can help support them
• Meet the PAT PAC board, and hear from candidates running for election to the PAC board
• Learn about proposed changes to the PAC Bylaws
• Learn more about PAT PAC’s processes and how the board operates
• Learn ways you can get involved.

Voting for the PAC Board and the bylaws changes will occur via ballots that will be emailed to all contributors after the meeting.

*This meeting is only for contributors to the PAT PAC. If you do not yet give to the PAC, you can sign up to give here and then join us at the meeting.

Looking forward to seeing you on April 26!

ASK Every Substitute Educator you see to join PAT

• Stress the importance to all members at your school of asking Substitutes to join PAT, if they are not already members
• Leave a sign-up form as part of your sub plans 
• Review the Top Reasons to be a PAT Member for Substitutes and Elements of a Good Ask with members during your 10 minute meeting

Do you have unused sick leave hours? Please consider donating before the end of the school year to help support PAT members facing serious health issues for next year. Members may donate up to 40 hours of sick leave annually. 

Are you retiring or resigning this year? 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.

This promises to be a meaningful time of food, listening, and learning about where PAT has been with racial equity and where we are going. Nichole Watson is an Oregon native, PPS graduate and a former PPS educator. In 2018-2019, Nichole was on full-time release to focus on racial equity in PAT and PPS. She created a more than 200-page report which included personal essays from parents, educators, and union reps from PPS and throughout the state, which was not released by PAT at the time. Nichole is currently the principal of Prescott Elementary School in Parkrose. We will also have an opportunity to hear from our own PAT leaders, as we are currently in bargaining to improve racial equity in our district. Please RSVP by  Mon April 24th, so we can order enough food. 

Thursday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m., Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Literary Arts cordially invites you to Verselandia! They’d love to see as many students and educators as possible there! Use this request form to order as many free tickets as you would like for your student group! 

All reps should join us Wednesday, May 3rd from 12:30-4:30pm* for updates about PAT's Bargaining Progress, plan for our next actions, and collaboration time with your colleagues and Zone Liaisons.

Every rep at every building should plan to attend. Register today!

OEA is hosting an informational meeting for members with questions regarding the National Board Certification on May 4th. 

Please see the event's flyer and click here to RSVP.

The Labor Notes Troublemakers School is coming back to Portland! PAT is co-sponsoring this event 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Saturday, May 6th at McDaniel High School. This is FREE for PAT members! Come learn from other labor activists and members about organizing, representation, direct action, and contract campaigns. PAT will be heavily featured and we look forward to our members coming to learn and teach. Register today.

PAT will be hosting a Retirement/Financial Planning seminar on Monday, May 8 from 4:30-6:00pm, at the PAT office. This seminar is about investment options for educators, and will be led by veteran financial advisor Ed Foster. Topics for this seminar include:

• Brief overview of your PERS/OPSRP plan
• The IAP account and investment options
• How investments work generally
• What happens if (or when) the market goes down
• Setting up a 403b (how and why)
• How much money you need to retire

RSVP here. (A light dinner will be provided.)

(*This retirement seminar is a benefit of PAT membership, and only available for PAT members. Not a member yet? Join here!)