By Reagan Reese
An Oregon teachers union is considering creating a task force which would charge educators in the black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) communities lesser membership dues in an effort to retain more members of color, according to meeting minutes.
On April 30, the Oregon Education Association (OEA) Board of Directors discussed a proposed policy, which would create a task force that would oversee the creation of a “progressive dues structure for members,” according to meeting minutes. The proposed policy, which was approved for further consideration, would cut the cost of dues for BIPOC teachers until the amount of BIPOC educators matches the racial breakdown of students served.
“Includes a significant discount for BIPOC educators until the racial breakdown of our membership aligns with the racial breakdown of our student population,” the proposed policy read. “We recognize the need for students to see themselves represented in their classrooms, and we acknowledge the vital role our BIPOC educators play in our union. We need to fund ourselves accordingly.”
The proposed policy was considered at the OEA’s Representative Assembly (RA) which included the “committee on racial equity and racial equity director report,” the OEA RA 2023 handbook stated. The report noted that the union board is aiming to sustain “support and mentoring for BIPOC educators” as well as provide “coaching for BIPOC members.”
“CORE [committee on racial equity] strongly believes that in order to adequately address institutional racism, OEA must center the voice and needs of its BIPOC members,” the report within the OEA RA 2023 handbook read.
It’s unclear who votes on the proposed policy next; the OEA RA meets once a year. The OEA does have a committee which oversees the proposed policy in an effort to “explore and create recommendations for the OEA Board on OEA’s dues structure and creating new release time officers,” according to the union website.
Teachers unions across the country are pushing to implement racial justice and gender identity initiatives in the classroom; the National Education Association (NEA) planned to host a “race-based trauma” professional development course for educators. A New York City teachers union hosted a workshop to teach counselors how to resist the “harmful effects of whiteness.”
The OEA did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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