and PAT a letter posturing as opponents of large class sizes and overworked teachers. In fact the Democratic Party is chiefly responsible for these miserable conditions.

Having several days earlier already made serious concessions on wage increases, shorter transfer process and teacher competence for transfer and layoffs, the PAT used the legislators’ letter as a political cover for the rotten deal it signed to prevent a strike.

As it prepared this betrayal, the PAT enjoyed the full backing of the pseudo-left International Socialist Organization (ISO). Throughout the negotiations the ISO worked to reinforce the authority of the PAT among teachers and students and subordinate the fight in defense of public education to the backroom dealings between the union executives and the Democratic Party.

A strike by teachers would have thrust theminto a political confrontation with the Democratic Party-dominated state government and its pro-business education agenda. In 2011, Democratic governor John Kitzhaber introduced a “school reform” bill, passed with the support of House Republicans, expanding charter schools and consolidating public education from K-12 through the university level into an “Oregon Education Investment Board” staffed by appointees of the governor and abolishing the office of state schools superintendent.

That same year, Kitzhaber worked closely with the Oregon Business Council (OBC) through a group called “Learnworks” to produce recommendations, ostensibly to address Oregon’s dismal national standing as 43rd in education performance and policy. The OBC, backed by the reactionary American Legislative Exchange Council—which is funded by the notorious Koch brothers—and the anti-public education Gates Foundation, proceeded, through Learnworks, to issue a report