After nine years on the Portland Association of Teachers executive board, Cleveland social studies teacher Jeff Miller has been elected President.

Miller believes in the importance of the PAT because “it enables teachers to do their jobs well and to give kids the education they deserve.” He first became involved in it after being dissatisfied with a principal at Cleveland more than ten years ago. Miller says he realized how important it was to have a union to defend the teachers’ rights.

“I saw what the PAT could do for teachers who were being treated badly,” said Miller.

In 1997, Miller ran for the executive board, and was on it for five years. He then ran for PAT vice president in 2002, and won. After serving two terms of two years as VP (the most one can serve in the same role), he decided to run for president.

Benson High School English teacher Rob Melton was Miller’s opponent in the election. As president, replacing current president Ann Nice, he hopes to get more people involved in the PAT, and increase the voice and visibility of teachers in local and state politics. Miller’s vice president is Benson High School teacher Gail Black.

While the job is full time and Miller will have to leave Cleveland, he hopes to return to teaching social studies afterwards. “[I have] mixed feelings about leaving the classroom,” said Miller, adding that his favorite part of teaching is the interaction with students.

The students will miss him too. “I don’t envy next year’s government and economics students, because [Mr. Miller] is the only teacher at Cleveland who can wake me up in a first period class,” said senior Elise Hermann, who has Miller for economics.

“When teachers need someone to stand up for them, in the words of Tom Petty, ‘I won’t back down,’” said Miller.