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The Portland Association of Teachers released its endorsements for the Portland School Board on Friday.
In May, candidates will run for four seats on Portland Public Schools' seven-member board, marking an opportunity to shift the body’s dynamics. The races in all four zones are contested.
PAT, arguably the union with the biggest stakes in these elections, has an endorsement process open to all members of the political action committee. Candidates are required to respond to a series of written questions. Questionnaires were given to members at a March 15 in-person convention, where there were additional interview questions.
“The Portland Association of Teachers values democratic decision making,” a Friday press release said. “All questions to the candidates, both written and verbal, are developed by and voted on by our members.”
Two candidates, current board member Herman Greene in Zone 4 and Virginia La Forte in Zone 5, were not included as part of the endorsement process. (The union said it did not receive full information from either candidate for inclusion, though the matter is in some dispute.) PAT’s endorsements are as follows:
- Christy Splitt in Zone 1, which represents Southwest Portland, including Ida B. Wells High School. The board appointed Splitt to her position in January after board member Andrew Scott moved out of his zone. The person elected to the Zone 1 term will serve out the remainder of Scott’s term, until June 2027.
- Rashelle Chase-Miller in Zone 4, which represents North Portland, including Roosevelt High School. Chase-Miller is a literacy advocate and program director for the nonprofit SMART Reading. That seat is currently held by Greene.
- Jorge Sanchez Bautista in Zone 5, which represents much of Northeast Portland, including Grant and McDaniel high schools. Sanchez Bautista is a student at McDaniel High School. Gary Hollands, who currently holds the seat, recently dropped out of the race.
- Stephanie Engelsman in Zone 6, which represents much of Southeast Portland, including Cleveland and Franklin high schools. Engelsman is a career public defender at Youth, Rights & Justice, a children and family law firm.
In the press release, PAT president Angela Bonilla said the teacher strike in November 2023 “showed the city that we need serious, knowledgeable and collaborative School Board members who understand the basics of how school districts run, and bargaining agreements are made.”
“We need school board members willing to do their homework before meetings and listen to voices outside of their social media bubbles,” Bonilla said in the release. “We need leaders willing to be the public accountability check to our district managers. I am excited that our city will have the opportunity to elect champions for students, workers, families, and our community to our School Board.”