1. What Is the Educators' Bill of Rights?

The Educators' Bill of Rights is a comprehensive, enforceable set of protections to restore Portland teachers' dignity, safety, and professional autonomy. It will limit class sizes, guarantee real planning time, protect teachers from unsafe classrooms, and hold administrators accountable for supporting teachers. When teachers are respected, students succeed.

2. Why Does PPS Need This Now?

• Overcrowded Classrooms: Many classrooms exceed 30+ students, especially in core subjects like English, math, and science.

• Unsafe School Environments: Teachers are expected to manage violent or disruptive behavior without backup, while discipline policies are inconsistently enforced.

• Micromanagement: Teachers are pulled from planning time for admin tasks, last-minute coverage, or useless meetings.

• Burnout & Turnover: Low morale and high turnover hurt students—PPS cannot keep good teachers without fixing working conditions.

Example: In the 2023–24 school year, dozens of schools reported class sizes topping 30-35 students, with teachers pulled into subbing during supposed "planning periods," while PPS continued multi-million-dollar outside contracts and administrative raises.

3. What Will PPS Do Under the Educators' Bill of Rights?

✅ 1. Enforceable Class Size Caps

• K–3: Max 20 students.

• Grades 4–12: Max 25 students.

• Hire 150 new teachers immediately to comply—funded by cutting $12 million in administrative bloat, not classroom budgets.

✅ 2. Guaranteed Protected Planning Time

• 90 minutes of uninterrupted daily planning time—no meetings, no subbing, no last-minute assignments.

• The admin is held accountable for violations that impact evaluations and promotion.

✅ 3. Annual Classroom Supply Stipend

• $1,000 per teacher per year for classroom supplies—no more begging for basic materials.

• Funded by canceling useless administrative contracts like Illuminate LMS ($500,000/year) and other redundant software.

✅ 4. Enforced Discipline Policies

• Clear, transparent school-wide discipline standards protect teachers from being scapegoated when classrooms get unsafe.

• Quarterly public reports tracking compliance and action on discipline issues—absolute transparency.

✅ 5. Teacher Ombudsman Office

• Create an independent office to investigate violations like class-size breaches, planning time infringements, and discipline failures.

• Public quarterly reports on admin compliance—naming names when necessary.

✅ 6. Administrator Accountability

• Tie principal and superintendent evaluations/bonuses directly to compliance with these teacher protections.

• Publicly release compliance ratings quarterly—so families and staff know which leaders are standing up for teachers and which aren't.

4. What Actions Will PPS Take Immediately?

1. Board Resolution:

   • Pass an official resolution adopting the Educators' Bill of Rights district-wide.

2. Contract Embedding:

   • Embed these protections into the 2025 Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) contract, making them legally enforceable.

3. Immediate Hiring Surge:

   • Begin hiring the 150+ new teachers immediately, with a deadline to fill all spots before the next school year starts.

4. Administrative Budget Cuts for Classroom Reinvestment:

   • Cut unnecessary administrative roles, contracts, and software to redirect funds to class-size reduction and supply stipends.

5. What's the Timeline for Making This Real?

📅 Immediate (2025):

• Board passes resolution.

• Budget realignment and initial hiring begin.

• Ombudsman office creation starts.

📅 Short-Term (by the end of the 2025–2026 school year):

• All required teacher positions are filled to meet class-size caps.

• The first year of classroom stipends distributed.

• The ombudsperson office is fully operational and publishing reports.

📅 Ongoing (2026 onward):

• Quarterly public reports on compliance.

• Regular reviews of class size, planning time, and discipline policy enforcement.

• Annual adjustments to uphold teacher protections and student learning quality.

6. Why Is This Different from Regular Union Negotiations?

This is bigger and stronger than any union contract alone—it will be codified in board policy and tied directly to administrative accountability. Teachers will no longer have to wait years for relief from overcrowded classrooms while administrators get raises. PPS will make teachers the priority in every decision, starting now.

7. How Will This Help Portland Students Directly?

• Smaller class sizes = more attention per student.

• Calm, focused classrooms where discipline policies are enforced.

• Prepared teachers who aren't burned out from covering gaps or lacking materials.

• Stable teaching staff—no more endless turnover from burnout and low morale.