The Advocate - November 30, 2016

• Back to the Bargaining Table
• Measure 97 Brought Out PAT's Best
• Substitutes Start Bargaining
• Become A PAT Leader: Run for Office
• The Performance Evaluation Process for Probationary Teachers
• Promising Practice Grants
• Are You Interested in Attending the State Board of Education Meeting?
• PAT Members Not Required to Take Leave for Missing After-School Staff Meetings
• Dealing with Workload Problems

One of our main goals this year is to settle a contract that brings us closer to the schools our students deserve. It’s time for us to take another step towards that goal.

Portland educators did an incredible job organizing for Measure 97. In addition to demanding adequate funding for education, healthcare, and senior services at the ballot box, many PAT members stepped out of their comfort zone, talking with voters across the state.

On November 9th, the PAT Substitute Teachers' Bargaining Team, comprised of Mark Oshin, Jeff Kipilman, and Stephanie Ritzert, met with the PPS team to start negotiations over a new contract for PAT Substitutes. After a productive session discussing goals and process, the two teams met again on November 22nd to exchange proposals.

Nominations will open at the November 30th PAT Representative Assembly (PAT RA) for election to several PAT positions.  These include PAT Executive Board Directors (4 positions), PAT Delegates to the Oregon Education Association Representative Assembly, and PAT Delegates to the National Education Association Representative Assembly.

Probationary educators shall be evaluated during each year of their three-year probationary period based on the PPS Performance Evaluation Rubric. The evaluation process requires a goal-setting conference in the fall and allows for informal observations by the evaluator. At least two (2) formal classroom observations are also required each year. Read the FAQ for a detailed description of the process.

Do you have a plan that could enhance your classroom skills or boost student achievement? An idea for a site-based professional development activity that could build partnerships? OEA’s Center for Great Public Schools awards Promising Practice Grants to individual PAT members.  

At the 2016 Oregon Education Association Representative Assembly, members passed New Business Item #8 calling for “OEA to provide release time for up to four members to attend State Board of Education meetings. The members released shall have expertise that reflects the agenda topics.

PAT bargaining unit members are not required to submit a short leave form or to use their accumulated leave if they are absent from a Monday or Tuesday after-school staff meeting

Our contract requires that any educator who has a concern about her/his workload or who believes her/his workload is inequitable must first discuss the concern with her/his immediate supervisor. If the concern is not resolved by the supervisor, the professional educator can report this concern to the joint PAT/PPS Workload Committee for review using the following form. The Workload Committee is actively reviewing cases now, using dedicated funds from the School Board to resolve as many problems as possible.