We did it! After nearly four weeks of a historic strike, Portland Public School teachers secured a contract that genuinely improves the lives of teachers and the learning conditions of our students. I was proud to represent PAT on the picket lines and in these local and national news stories about the strike.
We have all experienced so many emotions this month, from joy at seeing thousands of families and kids out on the streets to show support, to frustration at the back-and-forth email blasts and competing narratives, to extreme fatigue at figuring out what our kids were going to do from one day to the next. I’m a PPS educator and a proud PAT member, but I’m a parent before anything else–a PPS parent. My family was also holding the anxiety and stress and uncertainty that accompanies any transformative labor action, but especially one that involves our precious kids. There is a lot of emotion to process around this strike, beyond the excitement of negotiating a great contract and the relief of returning to school.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow educators and the families we serve was the honor of a lifetime. Now, as we move forward with a contract in place, we create the blueprint for how to take the wins of the strike and turn them into more wins, more investment in our schools and our city and our people. That’s the promise that I am making as your candidate for Portland City Council in District 3.
This month I prioritized standing with my PAT family on the picket lines over campaigning. I’m feeling so much joy at being back in my classroom with my students, and so much conviction about getting to work on the next phase of my campaign as we enter 2024. Can we count on you to become a sustaining donor and chip in $20 per month?
Thank you for all your support.
Love and solidarity,
Teacher Tiffany
