PORTLAND, Ore. - The ongoing strike between Portland Public Schools (PPS) and the teachers union has left parents in a challenging situation as they navigate the closure of schools and the need for alternative childcare arrangements. Negotiations between the district and the teachers union continued on Friday, with both parties focused on resolving the central issue of class sizes.

According to a recent update on his personal Facebook page, Portland Public Schools Board Chair Gary Hollands expressed optimism that the district and the teachers union have reached an agreement regarding the formation of class size committees. This has been a key concern for both sides as they work to end the teachers strike that has disrupted education for the better part of the month.

However, the Portland Association of Teachers stated earlier on Friday that there are additional issues beyond class sizes that still need to be addressed. The teachers union is advocating for better support and care for educators, emphasizing the reasonable requests they are making.

The strike has placed extra burdens on parents like David Jandron, who is juggling full-time work with being a single parent to his two daughters. Finding adequate care for his children has been a significant challenge, with Jandron relying on close friends who are already feeling burned out. Despite the difficulties, Jandron expresses his support for the striking teachers, citing concerns over classroom size and the current state of public schools.

Jandron is not the only parent standing with the teachers. Heather De Michele, another PPS mom, echoes his sentiment, calling for recognition of the lack of support for educators and their reasonable demands.

Day in and day out, the teachers union and the district have been engaged in bargaining sessions since Sunday, taking a break for Thanksgiving and then reconvening on Friday. One pivotal point of contention between the teachers and the district revolves around class size. While they have agreed to establish class size committees to find solutions, the teachers have insisted on including parents in these committees, a request that the district initially resisted.

The involvement of parents in the committee discussions remains a matter of confusion for some, including De Michele. Nonetheless, the district has suggested that it has found a way to incorporate parent voices into the process, albeit without disclosing the specifics of this compromise.

As negotiations continue, parents like De Michele are hopeful that a resolution can be reached soon. With patience wearing thin and the needs of children and educators at stake, the pressure is on for both the district and the teachers union to find common ground and bring an end to the strike.

"Just figure it out," De Michele implores, capturing the sentiments shared by many parents and community members affected by the ongoing teachers strike in Portland.