Portland Public Schools Strike: Class Size Committees Stalemate Continues

The Portland teachers strike continues as a dispute over class size committees remains unresolved. The Portland Association of Teachers rejected a settlement proposal from Portland Public Schools due to concerns over changes made to their proposal. While other major items, such as cost of living raises and overage pay, have been agreed upon, the union insists on their proposal for class size committees. The strike has resulted in 11 days of missed classes, and the district has proposed canceling the first week of winter break to make up for lost instructional time. Both sides have presented different versions of the class size committees, with the union's proposal allowing for parent involvement and the district's proposal limiting discussions to general solutions. The current proposals include a 13.8% cost of living increase over three years and a 3% increase in base salary for every student exceeding the agreed-upon thresholds. The strike has also seen acts of vandalism targeting board members.