Update from the PNACAC regarding Portland (Oregon) Public Schools strike
On Sunday, November 26, 2023, a tentative agreement was reached between the teachers’ union (PAT) of the Portland Public Schools (PPS) and the school district. Classes were in session yesterday, Monday, November 27, for the first time since Tuesday, October 31.
Teachers, counselors, and students have many priorities they are juggling as they return to school this week. PNACAC is sending this update to encourage institutions to continue to be flexible whenever possible when working with PPS students. There were numerous deadlines related to college admissions in the past few weeks, as well as a number of upcoming deadlines later this week. Any support you can give students, teachers, and counselors from PPS is in the best interest of students.
PNACAC wants to acknowledge the work of College & Career Coordinators and other school support staff who may have assisted students during the strike. As they were not a part of the striking union, they became a main source of support for students submitting applications; many students benefited from their tireless efforts during the past few weeks. Thank you also to any post-secondary institutions who worked to accommodate the unique needs of applicants from PPS schools during the past few weeks.
Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling Executive Board
Update from the Pacific Northwest Association of College Admissions Counseling (PNACAC) regarding Portland (Oregon) Public Schools strike.
On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the teachers’ union (PAT) of the Portland Public Schools (PPS) went on strike following months of negotiations with the school district.
As many colleges and universities have November application deadlines, PNACAC is sending this update to encourage institutions to be flexible whenever possible when working with PPS students in the receipt of supporting documents such as transcripts, school reports, letters of recommendation, fee waivers, and early decision agreements.
We know that college timelines and processes are tightly controlled functions. However, any support you can give students from PPS, the largest district in the state of Oregon, is in the best interest of students.
If you need to connect with an employee of a PPS school, we are aware that College & Career Coordinators, located in every high school within PPS, are not members of the striking union and are available to assist students as much as they are able.
PNACAC is releasing this update–and statement last week–as a part of our mission to support college-going students in our region and in support of students from the Portland Public School District, as well as an acknowledgment of the tireless work PPS teachers and counselors have already done on behalf of their students towards this goal.
Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling Executive Board
Statement from the Pacific Northwest Association of College Admissions Counseling (PNACAC) regarding possible strike within the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools
On Thursday, October 19, 2023, the teachers’ union of the Portland Public Schools (PPS) voted to authorize a strike following months of negotiations with the school district. The statement is not meant as support or critique of any individuals or groups of individuals involved in contract negotiations, but is a statement on behalf of students from the 10 high schools in the PPS system who are applying to college and may be impacted.
While the vote on October 19 does not guarantee a strike, it does give union leadership the ability to call a strike should they deem it warranted. The high schools potentially impacted are listed at the bottom of this statement.
Should a strike be called the required 10-day waiting period means the strike could begin as early as Monday, October 30; local news reports have listed the potential start date of the strike as Wednesday, November 1. As this potentially coincides with colleges’ and universities’ November 1 and/or November 15 application deadlines, PNACAC encourages institutions to be flexible whenever possible when working with PPS students in the receipt of supporting documents such as transcripts, school reports, letters of recommendation, fee waivers, and early decision agreements.
We know that college timelines and processes are tightly controlled functions. However, any support you can give students from PPS, the largest district in the state of Oregon, is in the best interest of students. Many counselors and teachers have been communicating proactively with students about the potential for an upcoming strike and how it might impact college application timelines. We are confident our PPS colleagues are working tirelessly and diligently to meet November deadlines they are aware of.
If a strike occurs, a preemptive email to students in your database may be welcomed, with information such as:
- Any flexibility or alternatives your institution may have related to particular documents.
- A clear deadline by which supporting documents could be received and still reviewed under November deadlines.
- Information on what will happen with their application should their application remain incomplete (e.g. “we will move your application to our next application round on x date”).
We also hope that any communication with students will not state or encourage–directly or implied–that students ask teachers and counselors to break strike protocols to submit documents on their behalf. We ask that as professionals, we support our colleagues in PPS during this challenging time.
To assist institutions with processes related to supporting documents, below is a list–albeit certainly incomplete–of questions to consider:
- Could a student submit an unofficial transcript as a placeholder?
- Could a Letter of Recommendation or School Report be waived?
- If a letter of recommendation has already been written by another individual–such as a CBO Mentor–would that be an acceptable substitution for a letter of recommendation? (Please be cognizant of the burden this may place on other individuals to write a letter with short notice.)
- Could an application be initially reviewed without a fully executed Early Decision Agreement, or with a signatory of a school front office official, counseling secretary, or college/career coordinator, if these individuals are not included in the striking union?
- Could a fee waiver request be accepted without a counselor request or approval?
PNACAC is releasing this statement as a part of our mission to support college-going students in our region and in support of students from the Portland Public School District, as well as an acknowledgment of the tireless work PPS teachers and counselors have already done on behalf of their students towards this goal.
If a strike is called we will update members in an additional message.
Pacific Northwest Association for College Admission Counseling Executive Board
High Schools in the Portland Public School District:
- Benson Polytechnic High School (380840)
- Cleveland High School (380855)
- Franklin High School (380870)
- Grant High School (380880)
- Ida B Wells High School, formerly Wilson High School (380937)
- Jefferson High School (380895)
- Leodis V McDaniel High School, formerly Madison High School (380902)
- Lincoln High School (380900)
- Metropolitan Learning Center (380904)
- Roosevelt High School (380910)
- Students may also be enrolled at alternative programs within Alliance High School and Pioneer High School
