PORTLAND, Oregon — A Portland Public Schools teacher strike could be less than a week away, if teachers and the district are not able to reach an agreement.
Some parents are worried a strike could negatively impact their students’ future. Many seniors are working on college applications with guidance counselors, while working with schools to get their transcripts. College recommendation letters from teachers are also needed.
"It's gonna be tough," Eric Happel, a parent of a Lincoln High School senior said.
Happel said it’s been stressful for his daughter to finish college applications before some are due on Wednesday.
"My daughter has kind of been going through that process,” Happel said. “She's got a lot on her plate right now."
Especially hectic, Happel said, for students who are on fall sports teams, as well as students who are the first in their family to apply for college.
Portland Public Schools administrators said the University of Oregon and Oregon State University have agreed to two-week extensions for college recommendation letters from Portland Public Schools teachers.
The Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling is also urging schools to be flexible when working with Portland Public Schools students. PPS administrators are also filing paperwork quickly ahead of Nov. 11 when teachers could strike.
"We have educators and counselors and principals to write those recommendations before [Portland Association of Teachers]'s scheduled strike date," said Renard Adams, chief of research for Portland Public Schools.
Still, parents remain worried.
"That is probably not going to help the students, in all reality," Happel said, “because U of O and Oregon State are not going to stop looking at applications because Portland teachers have gone on strike."
Some are fearful a strike could last all of November, further endangering future college applications.
"Once it starts, honestly, I don't know how it ends," said Kim McGair, a parent of a senior at Grant High School.
The teachers union, Portland Association of Teachers, said in a statement it is asking for smaller class sizes and more planning time, so teachers can spend more time working on things like college applications.
Some progress has been made in recent negotiations, though the two sides remain far off from a deal. The teacher's union is now asking for a 19% pay increase over the next three years. PPS has countered with a 10.5% hike over the same time span.