Teachers, parents and community members are rallying across Oregon to advocate for their students. PORTLAND, Ore. — Teachers across Oregon are participating in a walkout in numbers so large that many school districts will be closed. The Oregon Education Association said that the walkout is aimed at "advocating for students after years of disinvestment." “The last few years I’ve had 30, over 30 kids in my classroom. And that’s too much," second-grade teacher Erin McKee told KGW. "They deserve my attention. They deserve so much more and I know with better-funded schools we'll be able to do that." The various rallies and marches will host thousands of teachers, community members and parents clad in red as a reminder to the state legislature to fund schools with a proposed $2 billion tax package. Organizers said Wednesday afternoon that a Portland rally and march saw 25,000 people attend. Supporters in Salem gathered to rally at 1:30 p.m. and marched to the State Capitol at 3 p.m. The rally will be streamed live on KGW.com We have been following the issue of classrooms disruptions across Oregon for months. The concerns of parents, teachers, and lawmakers echo the reasons OEA says they are marching: large class sizes, missing mental and behavioral health supports, and cut programs like art, music, and P.E. PHOTOS: Classrooms in Crisis scenes 1/10 2/10 3/10 4/10 5/10 6/10 7/10 8/10 9/10 10/10 1 / 10 A total of 23 school districts across Oregon closed preemptively, including: Washington County Beaverton School District Hillsboro School District Tigard-Tualatin School District Forest Grove School District Clackamas County Lake Oswego School District North Clackamas School District West Linn-Wilsonville School District Multnomah County David Douglas School District Gresham School District Parkrose School District Portland Public Schools Reynolds School District Early release Salem-Keizer School District- school to close 2.5 hours early, no PM Preschool Oregon Education Association rallying against the proposed education budget cuts 1/14 2/14 3/14 4/14 5/14 6/14 7/14 8/14 9/14 10/14 11/14 12/14 13/14 14/14 1 / 14 After months of reporting on disrupted classrooms, we recently sat down with parents, teachers, and lawmakers to brainstorm solutions. No idea was off the table. This discussion was taped from beginning to end as teachers laid out their frustrations, parents their concerns and lawmakers listened. Classrooms in Crisis: Solutions aired Wednesday, May 8 on KGW and KGW.com. KGW has interviewed dozens of teachers and school administrators about an increase in verbal, physical and sometimes violent disruptions in Oregon and Southwest Washington classrooms. We’ve received emails from hundreds of additional teachers who tell similar stories. Many teachers say they don’t have the proper training, support or resources to deal with this disruptive behavior. The teachers don’t blame the kids, pointing out that many students have suffered trauma in their lives; however, they say the current law makes it difficult to handle these incidents effectively. In many cases, they are forced to clear all other students out of a classroom until a disruptive student can calm down. We will continue to tell these stories and push for answers from lawmakers and school officials. Do you have a comment or idea related to our Classrooms in Crisis coverage? Please email callcristin@kgw.com<doc-sep>Eugene and Bethel school districts have cancelled school Wednesday as their teachers plan to join a statewide movement of walking out and rallying at the state capitol for more funding for K-12 public education. More than 700 licensed staff (equal to about three-quarters of the total licensed staff) pledged to walk out in Eugene School District alone. The districts did not have enough licensed staff to operate and cancelled the regular school day — meeting the teachers’ goal to disrupt school so dramatically that lawmakers might take notice. Springfield School District will have a normal school day, as its union decided against a walkout. Instead, Springfield educators will line Main Street after school Wednesday in their own way of protest. The statewide walkout has been promoted by the state educators union, Oregon Education Association, for over a month. The union represents more than 40,000 educators at pre-K through grade 12 public schools and community colleges. OEA is pushing for the Legislature to earmark $10.7 billion to Oregon’s K-12 public schools and $787 million to its community colleges. Teachers and state union leaders hope the walkouts along with multiple demonstrations and rallies in Eugene, Bend, Portland and Salem will spur lawmakers to action in delegating this money. “There is I believe a growing awareness that we can't continue with business as usual,” said Tad Shannon, president of the Eugene Education Association. “And I think educators are going to have to lead on this, because we keep putting our hopes in the Legislature and our public officials to come to grips with this problem and it hasn't worked.” Both Bethel and Eugene school superintendents made statements that the districts do not condone the walkouts. And the impact is unprecedented, according to district spokesperson Kerry Delf. “We certainly have seen student activity — many times over the years, including some notable times in just the last couple of years,” she said. “But a teacher walkout on this large scale that has led us to close schools is not something we have seen in recent memory.” Why it’s happening The Eugene Education Association, which represents teachers from both Eugene and Bethel schools, will start picketing at 8 a.m. Wednesday in a handful of locations around Eugene before holding a rally downtown at 11 a.m. near the Park Blocks, the area where Saturday Market is held. From there, local teachers will take buses to Salem where they will rally with other teachers across the state in front of the Capitol where speakers from OEA and the National Education Association will speak and meet with legislators. “We’re really trying to bring attention to the crisis that's in our schools,” said John Larson, OEA president. “Thirty years of disinvestment in schools has lead to a point where it just can't happen any longer.” This statewide movement mirrors the larger one taking place across the country known as “Red for Ed.” Teachers dress in red and stage various protests for more school funding, better work conditions and increased teacher pay. It has taken hold in states like Arizona and Oklahoma, which both rank in the bottom five states for average annual teacher salary at $48,000 and $46,000. Oregon is No. 12 with an average salary of about $63,000 and an average starting salary of about $36,000 a year. The national average salary is just over $60,000, according to the National Education Association. Increased teacher pay was a significant point of going “red for ed” in other states, but Shannon vehemently argues Eugene’s teachers are walking out for better school resources and not increased salaries noting that teachers in Eugene and Bethel will not be paid for May 8. “We haven't even talked about salary issues,” he said. “That is not the driving force in this May 8 walkout. The driving force is demanding the Legislature do what it needs to do to significantly generate new revenue for schools." OEA is demanding the increased funds from the state come from new money funded through increased business taxes — not from other areas like higher education or healthcare that also impact students. “The answer is not to put more burden on already struggling families,” Shannon said. “But we think with corporations and large businesses making record profits and paying among the lowest corporate taxes in the country, that they can afford to pay more toward schools. ... This has to be new money, otherwise it doesn’t get us anywhere.” Last week, the Oregon House of Representatives passed the Student Success Act, which would allocate $2 billion per biennium to K-12 education. But Larson said there’s still a way to go with getting it through the Senate and Gov. Kate Brown’s seal of approval. Then it would likely be taken to Oregon’s citizens on a ballot. So even if it passes in the Senate by Wednesday, the walkouts still will happen. “The angst in the system and the tension among our members is what’s driving this action,” Larson said. “We’re trying to give people an appropriate channel for it.” Some schools and services still open Though school is closed, some services and activities will continue Wednesday in Bethel and Eugene school districts. For both districts, advanced placement and international baccalaureate testing will continue. At Bethel schools, after-school youth sports will continue. At Eugene schools’ athletic competitions and scheduled outdoor schools will be held with the exception of Wednesday’s daytime outdoor school at Howard Elementary School. Athletic practices and after-school activities are voluntary. Eugene schools also will have free breakfast and lunch for students at the following schools: North Eugene High, Churchill High, South Eugene High, Sheldon High, Madison Middle, Spencer Butte Middle, Cal Young Middle and Chavez Elementary. Neither district will make up the day in June, as they will meet the state’s requirements for instructional time for most grades without it. Eugene schools, however, still are evaluating whether it will have to seek a waiver for that instructional time for this year’s seniors because they get out earlier for graduation or if they will have to add additional time.<doc-sep>The Latest on a walkout by Oregon teachers to protest education funding (all times local): 8:40 a.m. Holding signs and wearing T-shirts declaring "Proud Educator," teachers across Oregon are staging a one-day walkout to rally for more money for schools. Many schools in Oregon were to be closed for at least part of the day Wednesday, including dozens in the greater Portland area. Oregon schools have some of the largest class sizes and lowest graduation rates in the United States. The action follows a wave of teacher activism that began in West Virginia in 2018 and was followed by Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona and elsewhere. ___ 10:24 p.m. Thousands of teachers plan to walk out across Oregon to protest education funding. Schools around the state will close for at least part of Wednesday as teachers try to put pressure on lawmakers for more money. Oregon schools have some of the highest class sizes and lowest graduation rates in the United States. The action follows a wave of teacher activism that began in West Virginia in 2018 and was followed by Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizona. Teachers in North Carolina and South Carolina rallied at their respective state capitols last week seeking more money. The state's school funding problem can be traced to the 1990s, when voters passed two ballot measures to limit property taxes.<doc-sep>Tens of thousands of educators in Oregon left their classrooms on Wednesday to protest for more funding for schools. The walkout caused some public schools, including some in Portland, the state's largest school district, to close for part of the day, though many offered day care, according to The Associated Press. ADVERTISEMENT The AP reported that about 25,000 people, including teachers, parents and students met at a Portland rally and later marched togetehr. They wore red in support of the “Red for Ed” campaign. Oregon is among the states with the lowest graduation rates and biggest class sizes in the country, according to the AP. The protest comes amid a nationwide surge in teacher activism. Last week, educators in North Carolina and South Carolina demonstrated at their state capitols, asking for more money. The Oregon protest occurred as Republican state senators moved to block a vote that would raise school funding by $1 billion per year. According to the AP, the 12 GOP lawmakers on Wednesday did not show up and so there were not enough people present to vote on the legislation, which would also add a half-percent tax to some businesses.<doc-sep>
This image was removed due to legal reasons. Teachers strikes and walkouts continued to sweep the country this week, as Oregon teachers took personal days off school on Wednesday to protest at six sites across the state, according to CNN. Though the walkout was not technically a strike, 600 schools in 25 school districts were forced to close due to absences, including Portland Public Schools, a district of 46,000 students. “This is historic,” Oregon Education Association P resident John Larson said at a rally on Wednesday in Portland. “This is what we came here for today—is to make sure that we fund our schools.” The Oregon teachers were protesting large class sizes and lack of school support staff like nurses and mental health counselors. Unlike many other recent teacher strikes and walkouts, low pay wasn’t one of their issues. In a website set up for the day of action, the OEA lists a grim set of statistics about Oregon schools. An excerpt: Nearly 45% of all Oregon classes have 26 or more students, with some classes as large as 56. Experts recommend class sizes of 18 or smaller or 26 or smaller with assistance for students to get the best education. Oregon has the third lowest high school graduation rate in the country. There are only 158 school librarians total in Oregon — less than one per district. Oregon’s school nurse ratio is 1:5481, more than four times the national recommendation. Oregon has half the school counselors than nationally recommended staffing levels. These issues echo those that have spurred strikes, walkouts, and protests in districts across the country over the last year in states like West Virginia and California. Last week in North and South Carolina teachers took personal days to protest against low pay and lack of support staff. “We might see students who are suicidal. We might have students write in their essays about siblings or parents who have drug addiction,” Patrick Martin, a high school English teacher in South Carolina, told CNN when asked about the need for mental health counselors in schools. Oregon is considering a law that may alleviate some of the teachers’ concerns. “The Student Success Act specifically raises revenue for schools, offering targeted investment grants for more mental health support, more after-school programs and much more,” s tate Sen. Rob Wagner told CNN. “It adds $1 billion a year for schools in Oregon, with districts able to figure out where they need the money most,” he added. “This is a once in a generation investment for our children.” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown supports the bill and says she will sign it if it passes—which is good, since there’s no help coming from the federal government. This week, Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made some snide comments about striking teachers at the Education Writers Association in Baltimore, saying that teachers who want to protest for better pay and conditions in public schools should do so on “adult time.”