PORTLAND, Ore. (AP/KOIN) — Holding signs and wearing T-shirts declaring “Proud Educator,” teachers across Oregon staged a one-day walkout Wednesday demanding for more money for schools. The demonstrations were the latest in educator activism that has taken hold nationwide. The Oregon Education Association designated May 8 as a statewide “Day of Action.” Schools around the state, including Oregon’s largest district, Portland, were to close for at least part of the day as teachers try to pressure lawmakers for more money. Schools in the state have some of the largest class sizes and lowest graduation rates in the United States. Watch: Thousands of teachers rallying at Waterfront Park In Beaverton, Oregon, teachers waved signs that said “30 is a speed limit, not a class size.” Student Logan Bates told KOIN 6 News that his class had grown from 21 to 31 kids in just one year. “This year my class is getting in trouble a lot more because there are more kids,” Logan said. “So I wanted to make it smaller, so my class wouldn’t get in trouble so much.” Logan also said it was easier for him to learn when his class was smaller. Educators agree. They say big class sizes make it harder to give students more one-on-one time. “I’ve just seen my class size get bigger,” high school math teacher Lindsay Ray said. “I’ve seen my students needs grow and grow and grow and we just have fewer and fewer resources to deal with them.” Beaverton teachers took the day off unpaid so they could save 7-70 teachers. Watch: “Day of Action” draws thousands across Oregon The walkout comes a day after Republicans in the state Senate failed to show up for a vote on a $1 billion education tax, bringing the chamber to a halt. All 12 Republicans were missing Tuesday, denying the Senate enough members to move forward with a vote. A Democratic supermajority was poised to approve $1 billion in additional annual funding for schools. The legislation would raise revenue through a half a percent tax on some of the state’s wealthiest businesses. Republicans walked out to protest the tax plan, saying it would raise the prices of consumer goods without fixing the education system. They also said they would not support any funding package that doesn’t address the state’s pension debt, which has soared past $25 billion. Teachers, students and supporters gathered at the Waterfront on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 to rally for more education funding. (KOIN) John Larson, president of the Oregon Education Association, said Republicans’ behavior is exactly why teachers are protesting. “It just mystifies me that adults just can’t sit in a room and do what’s right for kids,” he said. “This is why educators need to stand together and tell them to get back to work.” The action follows a wave of teacher activism that began in West Virginia in 2018 and was followed by Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona and elsewhere. Teachers in North Carolina and South Carolina rallied at their respective state capitols last week seeking more money. Unlike other states, Oregon teachers say they’re not pushing for pay raises or other union demands. They say they’re walking out to highlight the conditions inside the classroom and how years of low funding has affected learning opportunities. Teachers in Portland gather along the waterfront during their Day of Action for education funding, May 8, 2019 (KOIN) Oregon schools are unusually dependent on state funds after voters moved to change the school funding formula in the 1990s in an effort to limit property taxes. Since then, lawmakers have struggled to find an adequate source of revenue to keep up with rising costs. The walkout in Oregon builds on the numerous previous strikes, said Robert Bruno, an expert on teacher labor issues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Now the issues are far more diverse and they’re about cultural inclusion, they’re about fighting poverty, about making sure that you get schools some nurses,” he said. The time is “very ripe” for the protest, Bruno said.<doc-sep>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>SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state attorney general on Thursday filed murder charges against two police officers in the death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died after telling the Tacoma officers who were restraining him that he couldn’t breathe. Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement he charged officers Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins with second-degree murder and Timothy Rankine with first-degree manslaughter. The charges were filed in Pierce County Superior Court.<doc-sep>
In the face of rising class sizes, budget shortfalls and staff cuts, Oregon teachers took a stand Wednesday during the teacher “Day of Action” walkout. The state's largest public education employee union, the Oregon Education Association, organized the walkout to advocate for more school funding. THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: Become a Sponsor More than 20 Oregon school districts closed for at least part of the day Wednesday in response to planned demonstrations around the state. In Portland, organizers estimated more than 20,000 educators, students and community members gathered at Tom McCall Waterfront Park for a rally. Teachers rally for more school funding in Portland, Ore., on May 8, 2019. The rally was part of a statewide walkout led by the Oregon Education Association, the state’s largest public education employee union. Laurie Isola / OPB Susan Elliott used to teach in the Beaverton School District, which is currently facing a $35 million budget deficit. She's now subbing in multiple districts in the area. “I think people need to realize just how much teachers are concerned in the classroom,” Elliott said. “Our class sizes are getting larger. We’re losing resources. We should not be cutting teachers. We just can’t afford to lose support for students.” THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: Become a Sponsor Along with the need for better teaching environments, many of the speakers at the waterfront rally also called for holding politicians accountable, both locally and nationally. National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García flew out to Portland specifically for the event, and said the funding crisis in schools wasn't created by educators or students. “It is an artificial crisis when a politician listens to the wrong people. They have forgotten what they were elected to do,” she said. A Portland high school student who goes by the name Jolly Wrapper addresses a rally of teachers and their supporters in Portland, Ore., on May 8, 2019. The crowd gathered to advocate for more school funding. Laurie Isola / OPB Education has been a big focus for lawmakers in Salem this legislative session. The Oregon House recently passed a tax package that would generate $2 billion every two years for schools; it would do this by requiring businesses to pay a tax of 0.57% on Oregon sales that exceed $1 million. Oregon Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the tax package this week by not showing up to the Capitol. Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadeloupe Guerrero echoed the need for funding through that bill. “There’s a choice to make there and frankly it’s a simple one to make,” Guerrero said. “It is time to invest in our classrooms. It is time to invest in arts education, career tech education, early education, social workers, counselors.” Similar walkout demonstrations took place in Salem, Eugene and other cities across Oregon.