In a dramatic turn of events, the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) announced that the Portland Public Schools (PPS) bargaining team had reached a tentative agreement after 24 continuous hours of negotiations. However, the PAT now claims that the PPS Board of Education unanimously rejected the recommended settlement sent to them by their own team.

The PAT took to social media to express their disappointment, stating that the proposed agreement was painstakingly reached between the two bargaining teams. According to the PAT, on the morning of November 20, the PPS Board of Education dismissed the offer.

Responding to these claims, PPS Board Chair Gary Hollands held a press conference on Monday morning. Hollands clarified that the board did not outright reject the entire proposal. He disputed the existence of a tentative agreement altogether.

Chair Hollands explained, "Our PPS bargaining teams brought a conceptual proposal to the three board members, at the bargaining table, for our consideration. There were many positive parts of the proposal that addressed planning time, cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), and health, safety, and mental health supports. However, there were fundamental issues on which we could not reach an agreement, specifically surrounding parents' authority to make educational decisions for other students."

Highlighting this point, PPS Board Member Julia Brim-Edwards shed more light on the dispute. Brim-Edwards noted that the sticking point was a "class-size committee" composed of parents who would have access to student information and make decisions about class placement.

"We're just not comfortable with parents making decisions for other people's children, and we really feel that's a responsibility of the principal. The committee would consist of a principal, another administrator, and two teachers – and we believe that's the right level of decision-making," Brim-Edwards stated.

In response to the board's rejection, the PAT accuses district leadership of prolonging the strike and demonstrating an inability to govern Oregon's largest school district. The teachers' union maintains that educators will continue their strike until the PPS Board accepts the deal agreed upon by both bargaining teams.

The rejection of the proposed settlement by the PPS Board has further exacerbated the ongoing strike, leaving both the teachers and the board at an impasse. As the strike enters an extended period, parents and students anxiously await a resolution that will allow them to return to classrooms.

As the strike continues, the future of education in Portland hangs in the balance. Both the PAT and the PPS Board must find common ground to ensure the best interests of the teachers, students, and the entire school district are served.