A new rule governing what Portland Public Schools educators are — and are not — allowed to put on the walls of their classrooms is drawing pushback from its vocal teachers’ union.
Under the rule, items on display in classroom walls and bulletin boards must be related to approved curriculum or district sponsored events. The rules specify that classroom spaces “cannot be used for an employee’s personal expression, whether that is related to a political or personal issue.”
The new guidance was adopted without fanfare in August as an administrative directive, meaning that it did not require approval from the school board or a public airing.
The change comes after districtwide upheaval last spring tied to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, after a group affiliated with the Portland Association of Teachers published a controversial guide to teaching and organizing in support of Palestinian statehood. Suggested lessons included encouraging students to pray to Allah on behalf of Palestinians and writing letters to the U.S. president to urge an end to funds for Israel.
One of the first tests of the new policy came when administrators at Grant High confirmed the removal of “Stop the Genocide” posters from a social studies teacher’s doorway in early September. The poster’s message referred to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Israeli military actions after the Hamas hostage takings last October.
In an email about the situation sent to a concerned parent and shared with the Oregonian/OregonLive, Grant High principal James McGee said the posters were taken down because they were “in violation of PPS policy regarding political speech.”
The teacher, Jeremy Reinholt, declined to comment on the situation. Among the classes he is assigned to teach this year is modern world history.
Portland Association of Teachers President Angela Bonilla said via written statement that she believes the rule “violates our collective bargaining agreement. In addition, it is unworkable, overly broad and vague.”
The union filed a grievance with the district over the new rule in August, contending that it conflicts with contractual language on academic freedom, which allows teachers to introduce controversial topics that are relevant to their courses, and PAT’s right to post union related materials in schools.
PAT has asked its members to regularly take pictures of walls in their classrooms and in the hallways and cafeterias and on doors, to document how the new rules are being enforced. According to the rules, all posted material in such common spaces must be approved by an administrator and can only be displayed in certain areas.
District officials said through a spokesperson that the change has been in the works for over a year, in response to concerns raised by schools about murals in their buildings, some of which date to the Works Progress Administration era. Some have been removed in recent years, including murals at Grant that depicted idealistically harmonious interactions between Indigenous peoples and white settlers.
“Our rule is focused on ensuring the classroom spaces continue to be used for curriculum and PPS-related content,” the district’s statement said, in response to a question about the impetus for the guidance. “The administrative directive is content neutral, and we believe supports the goal of remaining focused on creating a rich educational environment for students.”
Two years ago, a judge in Yamhill County voided a Newberg-Dundee School District policy that banned employees from displaying “controversial” or “political” signs or symbols after the ACLU filed suit on behalf of a district employee. Judge Cynthia Easterday said then that Newberg’s policy was in violation of Oregon’s broad constitutional protections around freedom of expression.
Board members in the Newberg-Dundee district, which is about an hour outside of Portland, had originally sought to ban teachers from displaying Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ pride flags, though control of the district’s school board has since flipped to more progressive-leaning members.
School leaders in Portland said their directive wouldn’t infringe on a teacher’s ability to display similar material.
“The rainbow flag and BLM poster are district-approved symbols of inclusion to often-marginalized students,” district spokesperson Valerie Feder said. “Posters advocating for specific positions on political positions are not student-centered in that they are not rooted in our educational mission or curriculum. Personal expression by employees is not in furtherance of PPS’s academic purposes.”
But Bonilla said she thought the rules left questions unanswered.
“For instance, if an LGBTQ educator shares a photo of their family with a poster that reads, ‘Families come in all shapes and sizes,’ would that be inappropriate?” she asked.
Grant High parent Shoshana Kedem said she supported the intent of the changes.
“If someone complains that it makes it hard for them to be in a learning environment, then those things should come down,’” she said of the Stop the Genocide posters at her child’s school. “If there were Israeli flags and signs about supporting the occupation, I think people would say the same thing.”
— Julia Silverman covers education for The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Reach her via email at jsilverman@oregonian.com. Follow her on X.com at @jrlsilverman.