PPS hastily approves teacher contract giving raises to thousands of teachers and firing hundreds of teachers

As reported in the Oregonian, the despite criticism from parents and one school board member's adamant opposition, the Portland school board approved a new teacher contract that will bring the district's 3,200 teachers slight pay raises and result in hundreds of pink slips.

The agreement between the union and the board was reached a light speed and behind closed doors. The Oregonian explains the reason for the super quick hush-hush agreement:

The quick approval of the contract, reached less than a week ago and prepared entirely out of public view clears the school board's agenda to work on securing voter approval of a record tax increase on the May ballot.

Cleveland students question modernization bonds

From the Oregonian:

Still, many Cleveland students say their school seems in need of minor repairs and upgrades, not a wholesale renovation. The idea that they would have to spend a year or two being bused to the former Marshall High School while Cleveland is gutted and improved looms as a greater horror, they say, than the chilly or overheated classrooms, the grungy ceiling tiles and the outdated computers, photography studio and science labs.

"Nothing leaps out as bad or needing to be fixed," says sophomore Sasha Moore, who says his chemistry class has the equipment it needed and his P.E. class doesn't have any true "sardine moments."