Class Size Campaign The upcoming expiration of a number of teachers’ contracts across the state also provides a ready opportunity to enact meaningful changes on the district level. This is our opportunity to negotiate contractual language that will help provide us with the schools our students deserve. Strong, organized locals across the state will allow us to better advocate for the needs of our students and fellow educators. Our voices will join together into one cohesive call for change that will rise up across the towns, cities, and ultimately the entire state of Oregon.
2) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
After identifying local leaders and activating even more educators, we must continue to engage our communities. Our communities are where we will gain the strength to continue the fight, and we know from the Class Size Campaign that
our communities are equally concerned with growing class sizes and limited education funding. We need to engage our communities, form alliances, and show that underfunded schools and expanding class sizes are not just an educator problem— they’re an Oregon problem. “While parents in many of our elementary schools are beginning to become aware of this issue, we recognize that Class Size in Oregon is something that we need to take to our community,” said Peter Bauer, a sixth and seventh grade teacher at Cascade Middle School in Eugene and the chair of the Statewide Organizing Task Force. “Because we serve our community, it is from our community that we will gather the strength needed to make meaningful change in Oregon. Unless we are able to activate our communities, we will be unable acquire the political capital necessary to make change.”
Staff member Jim Grogan (standing) working with OEA's Statewide Organizing Task Force, Peter Bauer, Chair, OEA President Hanna Vaandering and Pete Mandropa.
Credits: Becca Uherbelau, Edward Graham
3) COALITION BUILDING
As we expand our network of Association leaders and community partners, we must also work to expand our coalition outside of education. Creating a committed network of engaged unions will allow us to work together as team players. The threat to workers’ rights in Oregon is very real. Right-wing organizations may have pulled their anti-union measures this year, but we know that they’ll be back—and we need to be prepared to stand together to oppose their efforts. It’s only by creating a strong block of workers, educators, and community partners that we can defiantly stand up and say that Oregonians will not cave into the whims of deep-pocketed corporate interests.
4) ELECTING PRO-EDUCATION CANDIDATES
Our coalition building efforts must be intrinsically tied into our efforts to elect pro-education politicians. We cannot enact statewide change unless we’re able to work with our state leaders to propose measures that fully-fund our schools. But the fight for public education is not limited to the state level, and we must recognize this going forward. We must remain committed and vigilant as we look at school boards, city councils, and other local elections that can lead to a groundswell of meaningful change. Finally, we need to put our ideas into practice. It’s time that we support and encourage more Association leaders to run for political office in Oregon. We need political partners that we can work with— not just sympathetic politicians who fail to pursue meaningful legislation. It’s time for us to identify the leaders amongst our ranks, and then do what it takes to send them to Salem to champion revenue reform for our public schools. As Peter Bauer said: “If nothing changes, then nothing changes.” n TODAY’S OEA | APRIL 2014
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