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      Teachers and their supporters in Portland, Oregon march on a picket line

      Portland Teachers Win Tentative Deal After Historic 3-Week Strike

      "Educators walked picket lines alongside families, students, and allies—and because of that, our schools are getting the added investment they need," said the president of the Portland Association of Teachers.

      Julia Conley
      Nov 27, 2023

      Teachers in Portland, Oregon and their supporters celebrated Monday after the local teachers union reached a tentative deal with the school district following a strike that lasted more than three weeks—paving the way for a finalized contract that the union said would provide "historic" investments in mental healthcare for students, reduce class sizes, and ensure teachers earn a fair wage.

      Students returned to school on Monday for the first time since October 31, when the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) began its first strike ever following contract negotiations that had gone on for months with Portland Public Schools (PPS) without reaching an agreement.

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      portland teacher strike
      Teachers on strike over low wages.

      The Poverty of Education When We Make Our Teachers Poor

      In the richest country in the world, we can do so much better. What will it take to reverse the trend?

      Jacob Goodwin
      Nov 24, 2023

      Teacher shortages have been reported in all fifty states, and 86 percent of public schools are hard pressed to fill vacant teaching positions. Low pay is often cited as a cause of the shortages. Let’s put that in context.

      On average, teacher pay in the United States is nearly 25 percent less than what other college graduates receive, according to a study by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). If you are a teacher in New Hampshire, as I am, your paycheck is nearly 30 percent less than other college graduates. Let that sink in.

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      Opinion
      teacher pay
      ​House Appropriations chairwoman Kay Granger.

      2024 House Appropriations Bills Slash Vital Programs

      The House bills are highly partisan and deviate sharply from the levels set in the bipartisan agreement to raise the federal debt limit in May.

      David Reich
      Nov 19, 2023

      The fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills approved by the House Appropriations Committee make major cuts in a wide range of domestic priorities. Among those hardest hit are programs crucial to the well-being of families with low incomes and their children, to public health, to job training and protection of workers’ rights, to a clean environment, and to fair administration of tax laws. The House bills are highly partisan and deviate sharply from the levels set in the bipartisan agreement to raise the federal debt limit in May.

      In contrast, the Senate-passed appropriations bills are lean but include substantially fewer cuts and rescissions (which take back already enacted funding), are largely consistent with agreed-on levels, and have strong bipartisan support. They offer a better path toward funding that meets national needs, although there are some programmatic areas where the Senate levels are too low to meet those needs, such as with WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and housing assistance.

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