Teachers in Oregon’s largest school district hit the picket lines yesterday (Wednesday) morning after being unable to come to a contract agreement with district leaders, closing its over eighty buildings that comprise the district. This is the first time ever that there has been a strike by teachers in The Rose City.
The issues at hand are many.
Members of PAT leadership said there’s been no movement on major issues like cost-of-living increases. They also said the district has refused to bargain over issues such as class size limits and student mental health support. In addition, they said that PPS’ latest proposal removes language regarding special education they’d already agreed on.
As the strike entered its second day, many students and families joined their classroom staff on the lines.
Miriam and her mother gathered with more than 20 people on the street corner by the school on the chilly November morning. Most participants were wearing some bit of the union’s signature blue, carrying signs and chanting as they walked up and down SW Spring Garden St. Among the crowd on the picket line were fellow educators and students, retirees and supportive community members. Some brought donuts and candy for morale.
Signs carried messages such as: “Our children can’t wait!” “On strike for safe schools,” and “Class size matters.” Several drivers waved from their cars or gave short, seemingly supportive beeps on their horns as they drove by.
Strikes by teachers can definitely create tensions within a community. The issues at hand are often complicated and not always easy for the general public, especially considering the complexities of school funding, to grasp. Nevertheless, polling data has shown in general support for striking teachers.
Across the country, polls in recent years have shown increasing support for teacher strikes and higher compensation for educators. The success of recent strikes in Southwest Washington has led Portland educators to believe a strike in their district could help move the needle.
But some individuals have said they feel Portland teachers are asking for too much.
And some families are concerned with what a strike will mean for kids day-to-day. Their support could be conditional on how long the strike lasts or how disruptive it is to their lives and their children’s learning.
As noted in the Portland Oregonian, parents are rightfully concerned about how this strike will impact their children.
Anna Metnick, the mother of two children at Sitton Elementary, said her second grader spent the day at work with her husband at a local food company while her fourth grader stayed in her office while she was on Zoom calls. Metnick said she supports teachers and hopes to be able to join them on the picket line, but that it was also difficult to navigate both work and childcare.
“It’s really feeling like COVID vibes,” Metnick said. “Just being at home with the kids again, feeling the uncertainty of what’s going to happen.” Like other district parents, she got a call at noon informing her that school was canceled for the rest of the week. “It feels like a really bad sign honestly that negotiations aren’t moving forward,” she said.
Hopefully negotiations can resume soon and a settlement reached so teachers can go back to doing what they love and kiddos can go back to learning again.
[Full disclosure — I have family who live in Portland are being directly impacted by this strike.]