PAT/PPS contract states, “Student loads will be calculated on the third Monday in October and the third Monday in February.” (Article 8.3.2.1)

This year, the third Monday in February was Monday, 2/20. Since that was a non-school day, overages were calculated on Tuesday, 2/21.

PPS will make overage payments in the March check.

If any professional educator does not receive payment for an overage on their March paycheck, claims should be submitted to PPS in April. State your case in detail and include evidence on the form from PPS. Make statements, rather than asking for overage pay. 

Keep using the PPS form until you get an answer. Contact your Building Rep for help.

Our fight for safe, sustainable and equitable schools will not be silenced! That was the message educators and the coalition of workers who keep PPS schools running sent loud and clear at the PPS School Board meeting on Tuesday, March 7th. It was a joy to see so many of you at McDaniel High School. 

However, it is also evident that PPS management is not taking our vision for what strong public schools can – and should – be seriously. It’s time we show PPS Management that we are united behind a more hopeful, just, and joyful vision for our schools.

The past few weeks, educators across the District have been signing onto our Bargaining Platform Petition. Building reps or organizers should have picked up a petition to bring back to your building to sign. If not - no worries! It’s not too late. In fact, now is the time to act.

If your worksite does not yet have a bargaining petition, please write to Erika or Matt ([email protected]).

Please sign this petition in support of this vision for SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, AND EQUITABLE SCHOOLS! 

The pandemic turned our lives—and our schools—upside down. Our students, and our communities, are grappling with more urgent, unmet needs than ever before.

As classroom educators, we see these problems every day. And the past three years have made it abundantly clear that if we want safe, stable, and equitable communities, public schools are the linchpin. But we can’t simply go back to the way schools were before COVID. Our students need—and deserve—so much more. Over the past few months, thousands of teachers, parents, and Portland residents have shared their vision for great public schools with our union.

Together with our community partners, we will be fighting for this vision in our upcoming contract negotiations. Can you please take a moment to sign (and share the petition with 5 others!) in support of PPS teachers and parents advocating for safe, sustainable, equitable schools? https://chng.it/CKyqCQW5Tf

PAT Scholarships for Aspiring Educators of Color

Scholarship applications are live on our website and will be accepted through April 19th, 2023. Please see the links below to download an application with instructions to apply.

• PPS Employee Scholarship Application and flyer
• PPS High School Senior Scholarship Application and flyer

Scholarship Selection Committee

PAT members of color are invited to join this important committee to decide scholarship recipients. Register here.

Thursday, April 20th, @ PAT Office, time TBD. Release time and a substitute will be provided for union work.

School Board Candidate Endorsements:

The Portland Association of Teacher PAC Board is proud to endorse the following candidates for PPS School Board:

PAT PAC Endorsements are chosen by the elected PAT PAC Board after researching and interviewing all candidates.  Any PAT member who contributes at least $10 per year to PAT PAC may vote for the PAC Board members who represent them in this process. PAC funds are entirely separate from your dues dollars, which may never be used to help candidates. 

Please visit our PATPAC page for more information on our endorsement process and previous 

Make sure you 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
• Review the Top Reasons to be a PAT Member for Substitutes and Elements of a Good Ask with members during your 10 minute meeting

Postcards to Your State Legislator

For this month’s PAT 10 minute meeting we are all writing postcards to our State Legislators. Please connect with your building rep about this organizing action. Write your legislator a friendly and personal message on the postcard. Here are some topics:

• Your support for HB 3221 which would keep more bond money in PPS
• Your support for HB 2703 which would make class size a mandatory part of bargaining for ALL schools
• An example of your school’s lack of resources and ask them to keep it in mind when passing the state budget

Find your legislator's name and formal mailing address here

Find your legislator's name and formal mailing address here

Interested in Going to Salem to Lobby?

1. Go with other members on March 29th during Spring Break (we will give you $$ for gas and lunch)
2. Go on your own another day in Spring Break (we will still give you $$ for gas and lunch)
3. Express interest on a Lobbying day the week of April 24th, we will try to get as many interested members release time