A disagreement over class size committees has become the final obstacle in ending the ongoing teachers strike in Portland, which has resulted in students being out of school since November 1st.

According to district spokesperson Will Howell, the Portland Association of Teachers rejected a settlement proposal from Portland Public Schools on Monday night. The rejection was based on the concerns raised by the district's changes to the union's proposal for class size committees, as reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Despite efforts to reach an agreement, teachers continued their strike on Tuesday. In an act of protest, members of the Portland Association of Teachers along with their supporters caused traffic disruptions on the Burnside Bridge by temporarily halting in the middle of the bridge for approximately 15 minutes before resuming their march.

While negotiations have seen progress on several key issues, including cost-of-living raises and overage pay for teachers with excessive class sizes or caseloads, the dispute surrounding class size committees has persisted. A union representative emphasized that the Portland Association of Teachers had initially agreed to the compensation items as part of what they believed to be a final deal with the district, which also included their proposal for class size committees. The union is not willing to reopen this negotiation, the representative stated.

As the strike has caused students to miss 11 days of classes since its commencement, the district proposed canceling the first week of winter break to make up for five lost teaching days. Additionally, the proposal suggests converting Presidents' Day and two scheduled teacher work days into regular school days. The return to school package has not yet been bargained between the union and the district, but the union spokesperson confirmed their commitment to finding alternative methods for students to recover lost instructional time.

The Portland Association of Teachers has put forth a proposal to establish class size committees, aiming to resolve issues arising from class sizes or student loads that exceed agreed-upon limits. If the involved parties fail to agree on a solution, the committees, consisting of the principal, another administrator, a representative from the union, and other teachers, may recommend various courses of action, such as rebalancing classes, providing additional support staff, or offering increased compensation to overloaded teachers. The union has also suggested that parents could be included in the committees, subject to agreement by school administrators and the teachers' union.

In contrast, the district's proposal entails automatic inclusion of two parents in the committees - one chosen by the principal and another by the union. However, the district's proposal restricts discussions and recommendations regarding class size issues to a more general level rather than specific classroom circumstances. In cases where a committee fails to reach a resolution, the union would have the option to escalate the matter to the superintendent for further discussion, but no mediation or union grievance procedures would be available.

Both proposals stipulate that the committees should refrain from discussing personally identifiable education records and instead focus on collaboration and potential solutions. Furthermore, affected educators would be allowed to attend the committees' meetings and provide suggestions.

Regarding compensation, the current proposals include cost-of-living increases totaling 13.8% over a three-year period. In the first year, teachers would receive a 6.25% raise, followed by a 4% increase in the second year, and a final 3% raise in the last year of the contract. The proposed increases differ from the district's initial offer of a 10.9% raise but fall short of the union negotiators' request for an 18% raise.

Both sides have also agreed to maintain a 3% increase in base salary for each student in a teacher's classroom or caseload that surpasses the agreed-upon thresholds. The union had initially proposed higher overage pay percentages but later accepted the district's plan to keep it at 3%.

As negotiations continue to focus on resolving the dispute over class size committees, the fate of the ongoing teachers' strike and the return of students to classrooms remains uncertain.