PAT Initial Bargaining Proposal Summary of Proposals designed to create The Schools Portland Students Deserve April 18,

2013

Preamble
The parties firmly believe that a well-rounded public education is a necessity for any graduate to be considered college, career and citizenship ready. The parties also recognize that a wellrounded public education includes, but is by no means limited to, giving students a strong start, providing students with an enriched, diverse and comprehensive whole-child curriculum that allows them to: obtain essential knowledge and skills engage in critical and creative thinking develop independent inquiry skills and an appreciation for the arts, music and literature improve their physical and emotional health develop academic discipline and proficiency in the intelligent use of technology necessary to become college and career-ready prepare for leadership roles in their communities

Our ultimate goal is to empower productive, ethical, self-confident citizens who are ready to participate in a free and democratic society. In addition, the parties recognize that the achievement of these educational objectives requires substantial short- and long-term financial investments in public education. The fulfillment of the aspirations described in this Preamble will require dramatic changes in education funding at the federal, state and local levels, a commitment to good faith collaboration, partnering with parents and the community, and mutual agreement on priorities and values. Until funding levels can be restored to support the schools Portland students deserve, available funding shall be prioritized to support direct services to students. The District and the Association shall collaborate with parents, students and other supporters of public education to push back against educational reforms that limit the curriculum. The coalition shall also work to find new sources of revenue to restore electives and to fully fund a curriculum that matters for the whole child.

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It is understood that class size directly affects a professional educators ability to build relationships with students and thus impacts student learning. It is also acknowledged that adequate wrap-around student support services, such as those provided by school counselors, nurses, social workers, second-language educators, special education educators, and psychologists must be accessible to all students. Furthermore, to ensure that every student succeeds regardless of race or class, the parties shall work collaboratively to identify inequities and promote policies that foster meaningful educational opportunities for all students, irrespective of which school the student attends. It is mutually understood that the adoption of evidence-based educational methods and instructional practices, that are adopted through a collaborative decision making process has the greatest chance of improving student outcomes. Finally, this Agreement is intended to affirm that the parties shared goal will only be achieved if professional educators are fairly and adequately recognized and rewarded for their contributions to the educational process and provided with a work environment based on mutual respect and professionalism. Attracting, investing in and retaining effective professional educators is necessary to meeting these educational objectives. The guiding principles set forth in this Preamble shall remain at the forefront of the parties negotiations now and in the years to come until these shared educational aspirations become a reality for each and every student and employee of Portland Public Schools.

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The following proposals are mainly new sections of the Agreement designed to create the Schools Portland Students Deserve.
1.) Professional educator is used throughout the document to refer to licensed teachers, counselors, school psychologists, speech and language pathologists, social workers, audiologists, and other specialists. Academic Freedom for Professional Educators a.) Responsible for decisions regarding the methods and materials used for the instruction of students Autonomy as it relates to pedagogy, professional development, classroom environment, lesson planning, curriculum and assessment.

2.)

b.)

3.)

Curriculum for the Whole Child a.) Collaborate with parents, students and other supporters of public education to push back against educational reforms that limit the curriculum. The coalition shall also work to find new sources of revenue to restore electives and to fully fund a curriculum that matters for the whole child.

b.)

4.)

Wrap-around Services for Students a.) Collaborate with parents, students and other supporters of public education to push back against educational reforms that reduce wrap-around services for students. The coalition shall also work to find new sources of revenue to restore services that have been cut.

b.)

5.)

Equity a.) The Association and the District commit to practices aimed at achieving and maintaining equity. Include outside funding sources for programs, positions, and supports as the District compares school funding. It shall release an annual report of funding for each school/program including schools fundraising, grants, and any other sources of income. Support the need for differentiated resources to support schools in low poverty neighborhoods in order to equalize some of the advantages enjoyed by students with more financial resources. Increase effort in special education and other budget areas to offset cuts in Federal funding for Title 1 and special education. PAT Initial Proposal 4/18/13 Summary of Proposals 3

b.)

c.)

d.)

e.)

Equalize opportunities for all students to receive instruction in art, music, PE, library science, world language and electives. Equalize opportunities for all students to attend a comprehensive middle school in their neighborhood. Support contract exceptions that add up to five days of instruction to the calendar for priority schools. Establish, publish and follow stakeholder enrollment balancing/school closure involvement protocols in order to promote equity and transparency. Stakeholders review enrollment balancing and school closure protocols in a timely manner prior to implementation. Priority shall be placed on maintaining sufficient enrollment in neighborhood schools instead of school closure. A school closure due to under-enrollment is a last resort and shall only be done in the most extreme circumstances. Give the Association and other school stakeholders six months notice prior to closing a school.

f.)

g.)

h.)

i.)

j.)

k.)

l.)

6.)

Initiatives a.) Professional development shall occur prior to the implementation of any new initiative. Collaborate with the Association in seeking ways to reduce and limit the number of initiatives that any professional educator is expected to implement. Professional educators shall be responsible for implementing no more than three, but preferably no more than two initiatives at the same time.

b.)

c.)

7.)

Student Assessment a.) Standardized Tests Standardized tests shall only be used in a manner supported by the test methodology and testing frequency. b.) Multiple forms of assessment Standardized tests should be only one (1) tool used for assessing student learning and growth. Professional educators shall be allowed to select and utilize curriculum-based measurements that are directly connected with evidence-based learning and data-supported progress monitoring.

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8.)

Class Size / Caseload / Student Load Goals: a.) Work with the Association, parent groups, student groups, business groups, City, County, Metro, and State elected officials to secure adequate funding to reduce class size/caseloads by July 1, 2018. Give special weighting for TAG, ELL and special needs students.

b.) 9.)

Work Load for Special Educators Assign professional educators working with special education students reasonable caseloads that will allow for all mandated services to be scheduled during the work day.

10.)

Prioritizing Classroom Instruction/Direct Services to Students a.) b.) Prioritize available funding to support direct services to students. Annually report to the community the cost, benefit, and opportunity cost (also called the lost benefit) of all staffing and other budget expenditures that do not directly support students. This section is not intended to include classified staff represented by other unions including but not limited to building secretaries, custodians, food service personnel, bus drivers, maintenance workers, EAs, library assistants, and/or campus monitors.

11.)

Education Leadership a.) Create a mentoring/feedback program for administrators who need support in gaining skills. Part of that feedback program shall include feedback surveys from students, parents, professional educators, and mentor administrators (i.e., principal coaches). Demand that administrators behaviors are consistent with promoting a respectful working/learning environment.

b.)

c.)

12.)

District Administrative Chain of Command a.) Community Task Force delineates a clear chain of command identifying who is clearly responsible for the conduct of administrators from the Superintendent to the Principal. Community Task Force reviews non-instructional positions including administrators and other non-represented employees who do not work directly with students, with the goal of redirecting at least three million dollars ($3M) towards direct instruction of students.

b.)

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