PORTLAND, Ore. -- Almost 1,200 Portland teachers rallied outside the district office Monday night to show their anger over the lack of a contract with Portland Public Schools.

The teachers streamed out of the meeting with drums playing and signs raised after they shared their concerns with the school board.

The rally was organized by the Portland Association of Teachers, who said teachers have been working for more than 15 months without a contract. They claim the board is refusing to work with them.

"I've worked for Portland for over 30 years and I've never been more disgusted with the district," said Trudy Rees, a teacher at Harvey Scott Elementary School.

"We want to just be heard -- our voices heard as teachers -- we want to have respect," said David Child, a teacher at Woodlawn Elementary School. "We want the district to hear us that we want a contract, that we do this for our students and not just for ourselves. We put our students first in all that we do."

A Portland Public Schools spokesman said the district is offering teachers a retroactive 2 percent cost of living increase for the 2008-09 school year; and no cost of living increase and five furlough days in 2009-10.

The Portland Association of Teachers said they do not expect the rally to have an immediate effect on the situation, but they hope they can convince the school board to begin to work with them on a new contract.

A mediation meeting was scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Angry Teachers Rally Outside District Office