PORTLAND, Ore. — Greater Albany Public Schools canceled classes through Thursday with hundreds of educators now in their second week of a strike.
"We are here because we’d like to support our teachers," said Jerry Wang, a junior at West Albany High School. "A lot of teachers have expressed their gratefulness for us being out here, but we also feel grateful for them being here, too."
Wang has been conducting the school band as it plays in support of teachers picketing outside the school district's building.
"We follow our teachers wherever they go in the mornings," he added.
About 600 teachers and other educational staff walked off the job last Tuesday after mediation between the union and the district failed. It's the first time teachers in the district have been on strike in nearly 40 years.
Teachers and educators are asking for an increase in cost of living pay, more safety measures and smaller class sizes.
"Class size is the big one," said Jenn Stadstad, who has been a PE teacher at Calapooia Middle School for 25 years.
Stadstad is also part of the bargaining team and said that teacher pay is not a big sticking point right now. Instead, the focus has been on class sizes and getting more prep time for high school and elementary educators.
"We both have given some salary scale back and forth, but that hasn’t been a big issue for us," she added.
Despite the upbeat band tunes being played, the union expressed frustration in a Facebook post Wednesday morning, saying that they're signing a community-organized petition that demands the school board resign.
"We have always approached the bargaining table in good faith, seeking solutions," the post said. "However, after the last four days, it's clear that the school board refuses to prioritize Albany students or offer a fair contract that gets teachers back in safe classrooms. That's why we're joining parents and families across our community in demanding the school board resign."
"I do know that a lot of school board members are getting a lot of heat from the community because these people want their kids back in school," Stadstad said.
KGW reached out to each school board member and the district for their response and did not hear back.
In a letter sent to families Wednesday, the district said that negotiations have come down to "one outstanding issue" — prep time, which differs between elementary and high schools.
According to the district, they've been able to agree on 90-minute prep times in high schools. But the union wants that to begin in February, while the district insists that it will need to wait until next school year or it will cause widespread disruptions for students.
The district was more circumspect about elementary school prep time, saying that teachers already have 60 minutes before or after school, 30 minutes within the school day and five prep days that can be taken during the school year.
As of Tuesday night, the district said that its bargaining team was working "intently" with the union toward reaching a settlement. If a settlement is reached, the district explained that students will not immediately be able to return to classes.
"We are very anxious to get students back into schools and with their teachers, but this will not be possible without a workday for teachers," the district said. "We know this has been very challenging for families, and another day away from school will be a hardship."
The district provided a list of reasons for this decision, including allowing teachers to plan for lost days of instruction and the need to "reactivate badges and email systems" for teachers.
"GAPS [Greater Albany Public Schools] values students, families, and staff and will continue to work diligently to settle the contract and return students to school as soon as possible," the district said. "The District’s incredible teachers need to be in front of our students to provide the quality instruction and experience they deserve."
KGW's Thomas Shults and Anthony Macuk contributed reporting to this article.