Northwest labor press., August 15, 2014, Page 11, Image 11

It’s a ‘Race to the Top’ for
Portland Public Schools’ CEO,
but pink slips for lowest-paid
Portland Federation of School Pro- help its laid off members access unem-
fessionals (PFSP) may have lost fewer ployment benefits and other services.
The following week, the PPS Board
members to layoffs this summer than
in previous years, but union President voted 5-2 to give district superintend-
ent Carole Smith a
Belinda Reagan says
she’s still bothered by ‘I don’t understand the $66,000 raise, to
$277,000 a year.
what it says about
school district priorities mentality of the district That’s a 31 percent
pay increase — more
that her membership cutting services to
than 13 times the 2.3
experienced staff cuts at
percent raise PPS
the same time the dis- students, when we’re
teachers got this year,
trict hired high-paid ad- seeing an increase in
and more than 20
ministrators and gave
times the 1.5 percent
its CEO a massive raise. the number of
raise PFSP members
PFSP, also known as administrator
got.
American Federation of
Educational assis-
Teachers (AFT) Local positions.’
tants make about
111, represents support
LOCAL 111 PRESIDENT $20,000 a year. So
staff at Portland Public
BELINDA REAGAN the district could
Schools (PPS), includ-
have hired three of
ing school secretaries,
campus monitors, library assistants, them — or another teacher — with the
and classroom educational assistants money that instead was added to the
who help students learn to read or solve salary of its highest-paid employee.
math problems. It was the classroom
The Board said Smith’s raise was
assistants — indispensable in kinder- justified because her salary was “below
garten classes — who got layoffs this the market average for superintend-
year: 27 of them got notice in April that ents” for districts of similar size in
they were “unassigned,” meaning their other states.
positions were eliminated. Most of
But appearances matter, and mem-
them found other positions in the dis- ory of Smith’s pay raise could dampen
trict, but eight members won’t be com- voter appetite for future school funding
ing back in September: One full-time measures. Some voters still remember
and seven half-time educational assis- the $15,000 a month the district paid
tants. And 19 other educational assis-
for part-time labor relations advice
tants had their hours reduced.
from retired City of Portland human re-
“I don’t understand the mentality of
the district cutting services to students, lations director Yvonne Deckard.
Board members Steve Buel and
when we’re seeing an increase in the
Tom
Koehler voted against Smith’s
number of administrator positions,”
raise.
As
for the others, Board members
Reagan said.
Reagan said the district has at least Ruth Adkins, Greg Belisle, Matt Mor-
six new administrators making over ton and Bobbie Regan will face voters
in 2015 if they want to be re-elected,
$100,000.
The union held a forum July 25 to and Pam Knowles will be up in 2017.
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AUGUST 15, 2014
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
PAGE 11