1. What exactly is the "Educator Power & Professional Autonomy Initiative"?

Right now, Portland educators are routinely excluded from critical decisions that shape their classrooms, forced instead to follow top-down directives from administrators who don't directly teach students. This initiative changes that by creating elected Educator Professional Councils at every PPS school, granting educators binding veto power over classroom-related mandates, and forming a Districtwide Educator Congress to ensure educators have a powerful voice in district decisions.

2. Why does PPS need this initiative urgently?

Portland Public Schools suffer from excessive administrative overreach — educators have little say in crucial decisions like curriculum, professional development, testing, or new technology purchases. Educators know their students best, yet PPS often imposes costly and ineffective mandates without classroom input. This leads to burnout, frustration, wasted resources, and lower morale, ultimately harming student achievement.

3. What specific actions will PPS take to empower Educators?

1. 🗳️ Elected Educator Professional Councils (EPCs)

   • PPS will immediately establish elected councils of educators in every school. These councils will have democratic authority to approve or veto major administrative decisions affecting classrooms—including curriculum, testing schedules, technology purchases, and professional development.

   • Each council will control up to $1,000 annually per school, funded directly by cutting wasteful central office travel budgets and administrative discretionary funds.

2. 🚫💰 Real Veto Power & Budget Control

   • Educator Professional Councils will have binding veto power over district-imposed initiatives impacting classroom teaching. This includes rejecting impractical curriculum adoptions, ineffective testing schedules, or irrelevant professional development mandates.

   • Each council will manage up to 10% of their school's budget related to technology, curriculum resources, and professional development, ensuring practical decisions that educators support.

3. ⏰ Dedicated Paid Planning Time

   • PPS will provide each Educator Professional Council dedicated monthly paid planning periods, fully protected from any administrative tasks or interruptions. This ensures educators have sufficient time to review policies, debate decisions, and advocate effectively for students.

4. 📢 Districtwide Educator Congress

   • PPS will form a District-Wide Educator Congress made up of elected representatives from each school's council. This Congress will have binding votes on district-level decisions—such as standardized testing schedules, curriculum adoptions, bell schedules, and professional development mandates—giving educators direct influence over district policies.

5. 📝 Clear Accountability and Transparency

   • The PPS Superintendent and principals must respond formally, in writing, within 30 days to all recommendations and decisions from the Districtwide Educator Congress, ensuring real accountability.

   • PPS will publish quarterly reports showing how closely administrators comply with Educator Council and Congress decisions, openly revealing administrative resistance or noncompliance.

4. What immediate actions will PPS take now?

• Pass immediate board resolutions creating elected Educator Professional Councils at every school, clearly outlining their powers and funding sources.

• Launch the first elections for the Districtwide Educator Congress within this school year to begin influencing critical decisions immediately, including testing calendars, bell schedules, and professional development requirements.

• Establish protected monthly planning periods for each council across the district immediately, giving educators guaranteed paid time to organize and deliberate.

5. What's the timeline for implementation?

📅Immediate (2025)

• Establish Educator Professional Councils at all PPS schools with veto and budget authority.

• Elect the first representatives to the Districtwide Educator Congress and hold initial meetings.

• Secure monthly paid planning periods for council members at all schools.

📅Short-term (2026)

• Ensure full operation of Educator Professional Councils districtwide.

• Begin publishing quarterly reports detailing principal and superintendent compliance with educator-led decisions.

📅Ongoing (2027 and beyond)

• Review and expand council authority regularly based on demonstrated effectiveness, progressively increasing educator autonomy as positive impacts on student learning are documented.

6. How will this directly benefit Portland students?

• Classrooms will be shaped by decisions made by educators who truly understand student needs rather than by distant administrative mandates.

• Improved educator morale and reduced burnout mean more consistent, effective instruction and stable classroom environments.

• Budget decisions will prioritize materials and technology educators use and need, cutting wasteful administrative spending.