The historic Portland Teachers’ Strike is officially in its third week. This has been the most intense, challenging, terrifying, clarifying, invigorating experience of my professional life. My fellow teachers and I have been blown away by the depth of solidarity we have seen from PPS parents and kids. PPS parents are juggling work and childcare and living with a lot of stress and uncertainty as we head toward the holiday season, and PPS kids are missing their friends and classrooms and routines. And yet every day PPS families are joining us on Portland streets to get loud in support of better class sizes and safe buildings. They are contributing delicious breakfasts and hot coffee to our picket lines and collecting gift cards for teachers worried about lost paychecks. They are emailing PPS to demand that leadership come back to the table with something real. I will never forget the solidarity and love our community has shown us, or the support teachers have shown each other in this moment. I know that we are going to win.
I have been honored to represent PAT in a few different media venues. I spoke with Fox 12 about PPS suddenly being broke when it comes to teachers and classrooms. I was interviewed by OPB about planning time, rats and mold. I went onstage at the Newmark Theater and told Jon Lovett of Lovett or Leave it and Pod Save America about what we’re fighting for. You can see more media appearances, and learn more about the strike, here: Teacher Tiffany in the Media
Thank you all for your support during this transformational moment in Portland’s history.
