Cleveland High School senior: Students will stand on the picket line with teachers if strike comes (Q&A, video)
Ian Jackson, a Cleveland High School senior, helped lead a rally in solidarity with Portland teachers during Monday night's school board meeting. Jackson, an active member in the Portland Student Union, said students are ready to strike alongside educators if the teachers union walks out. (Stephanie Yao/The Oregonian)
We know what teachers think about labor negotiations, and we know what administrators think about the process.
But what about students?
Ian Jackson, a Cleveland High School senior, organized a large rally and march on the Monday night school board meeting. Students and members of other unions showed solidarity with Portland Public Schools teachers amid ongoing contract negotiations.
Jackson is involved with the Portland Student Union, a coalition of student groups across the city that advocates for various educational issues, including a stand against standardized testing.
We caught up with him to talk about the contract, what he wants to happen, and how he felt about the student demonstration. The interview has been edited for brevity and length.
You can also check out another student perspective from Andrew Davidson, a school board student representative, who answered similar questions.
How did you get involved with student activism?
I got involved in the fall of my junior year of high school. I had seen Occupy Portland and had seen the resurgence of activism in the city of Portland, and I wanted to make