Negotiations at standstill as PPS strike enters second day

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Teachers, families, the community, and even national representatives showed up Wednesday to support Portland Public Schools teachers on the first day of their strike.

Now, the strike continues into its second day, once again canceling classes and it seems like there won't be any more school for students this week with no bargaining session currently scheduled until Friday.

For PPS, they say the problem is that they can't afford the $200 million that Teachers are asking for with Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero blaming state lawmakers for underfunding schools.

"All we have is inadequate funding from the state while working to produce, [and] improve outcomes and opportunities for our students," said Guerrero.

Resources for PPS students and families during strike

Of the thousands who joined Wednesday's picket, some showed up from across the country including Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, who called on PPS to do better.

"Our students see us standing up for them," said Pringle. Our parents see us standing up for their children and the community is in full support of teachers using this mechanism to say Portland Public Schools, you can do better and you must do better."

Teachers are not being paid while they are striking.