Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Rif topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teachers and union critics press board over reduction-in-force process, cite state labor ruling
Summary
Public commenters and a board member criticized the district's reduction-in-force process as lacking transparency and potentially violating contract provisions; a recent Oregon Employment Relations Board ruling was cited as a source of concern.
Multiple teachers and a union-affiliated speaker used public comment to urge the Tigard-Tualatin School Board to follow contract procedures and provide greater transparency after the district announced reductions in force.
Emily Den (public commenter) told the board that staff were assured on March 13 that budget decisions would minimize classroom impacts, but that an April 7 declaration of reductions proposed cutting 64 licensed staff, 14.5 classified staff and three administrators. Den said the district had not shown evidence of similar cuts away from direct student contact and described confusion and "a mess of uncertainty" created by voluntary-transfer offers and use of the term "unassigned," which she said is not in the contract. "If you want trust, please break down the true realities of cutting personnel ... Show where those cuts will happen even proportionately to classroom instruction before driving up class size," she said.
Kate McKee, a 37-year district teacher in Tigard High'area schools, argued the district's decision to grow reserves to 12 percent (above Oregon School Boards Association guidance) at the expense of staffing was "entirely inappropriate," saying the approach prioritized reserves over the immediate needs of students.
Board Director Weston addressed the issue in her board report, urging the district to meet conditions outlined in a ruling by the Oregon Employment Relations Board (case UP04123, Oregon School Employees Association chapter 51 v. Tigard-Tualatin School District) and to consider supports to improve labor relations. She said the ruling found five violations by the district and emphasized the need to reduce liability and treat employees with "respect and compassion." Weston said district leaders should consider changes that would "meet the conditions outlined in order to reduce our liability."
Board members heard calls from commenters for clear documentation showing whether higher-level administrators' positions had been reduced proportionately and for a demonstration of alternatives to classroom cuts. Speakers said they had not seen evidence of significant non-classroom reductions that would yield the same savings.
The board did not take formal action during public comment, but several board members acknowledged the concerns and directed staff to continue following contractual and legal requirements. The superintendent and staff have said they will provide more details and follow the collective bargaining process; commenters asked that the district clarify how reductions, voluntary transfers, recalls and assignment procedures are being applied.
Speakers quoted in this article appear in the transcript of the meeting; the board's official minutes and personnel notices remain the authoritative record for RIF determinations and timelines.
