PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon's largest public school system is a week away from the deadline for what would be the first teacher strike in the district's history, impacting about 40,000 students. The Portland Association of Teachers voted last week to authorize a strike, and warned Portland Public Schools that its roughly 4,000 members would walk off the job if no deal is reached by Nov. 1.
The district has told parents that it's making contingency plans in the event of a strike, but there's no way around the fact that PPS will need to close all schools and cancel all classes.
Here are the answers to some of the biggest questions that parents are likely wondering right now, drawn from recent PPS public meetings as well as information on the district's website.
Will the schools by physically closed?
Yes. The buildings will be physically closed, and parents should not bring their children to school, according to the district's FAQ. Students will not be marked absent on strike days. Outdoor use of district property will still be allowed.
Charter schools will remain open because their staff are not represented by the union, and students taking classes at any non-PPS schools can continue to do so, but all other district buildings will be closed to students, volunteers and the public.
There will be no childcare services available, including before-school and after-school childcare. Parents in search of childcare options can look for programs through community organizations, the district said.
Will any classes continue?
No. There will be no in-person or online instruction, according to the district's FAQ.
The district is making online resources available for students and families who want to pursue self-directed studies, and students can use the strike time to catch up on previously assigned work, but there will be no new assignments and no requirement for work to be completed, according to the district.
Pre-K and Head Start programs will also be closed, and special education services will be paused. Outdoor School trips that would have overlapped with the potential strike period have been rescheduled for the spring season, according to the district's website.
What about extracurriculars?
Varsity athletics will continue, including fall varsity practice and contests — and even winter practice and contests if the strike continues that long. Only students and coaches who continue to work will be allowed on-site for practice, but the public will be allowed to attend contests.
All other athletic programs will stop, including freshman, JV, JV2 and middle school athletics programs, according to the district's website.
Child care services, performing arts rehearsal and extracurricular clubs will be shut down. Any "Civic Use of Building" permits will be canceled, although the district said it will handle those cancellations on a day-by-day basis, since the length of the potential strike is unknown.
Will the strike days need to be made up?
Yes, but the district says it does not yet have a plan for how that would happen because it depends on the length of the strike, according to the website. If a strike happens, information about make-up days will be sent out to families once a new contract has been reached and the strike has a definitive end date.
Will meals be provided?
The district will continue to provide breakfast and lunch for students as "grab and go" meals, with information about pickup times and locations posted to a district webpage.
Food pantry services at PPS schools will be relocated to other sites. The Marshall campus Clothing Center will still be available on certain days of the week by appointment, according to the district's website.
Will health services pause?
Student Health Centers will remain open for both in-person and virtual appointments at Benson, Cleveland, Franklin, Jefferson, McDaniel and Roosevelt, according to the district's FAQ. Mental health services will be available virtually for students who are currently seeing school-based mental health providers.