House Democrats Pass Bill to Alleviate School Workforce Challenges and Support Educators

SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon House of Representatives today passed a bill to address education workforce shortages and support school employees. House Bill 4030 C will provide funding to help school districts recruit and retain school employees, streamline licensing requirements for teachers and create a statewide clearinghouse for education jobs.

“Students learn best when they are learning in safe classrooms five days a week,” said Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon (D-Woodburn), chair of the House Committee on Education. “This bill will help our schools make sure they have the essential staff they need to support our kids.”

“By investing in our education workforce, we can build stronger schools where our kids can be successful,” said Rep. Courtney Neron (D-Washington County/Wilsonville), vice-chair of the House Committee on Education. “School employees have been moving mountains to support our students through the pandemic, and this bill will help alleviate the real challenges faced by teachers, staff and school administrators.”

Relief for teachers  

In 2021, Oregon school districts reported over 1,820 job vacancies to the Oregon Employment Department. Teachers across the country have reported increased workload and the disruptions of the pandemic over the past few years.

“School districts have been struggling to find new employees and retain educational workers who are simply burned out,” said Rep. Zach Hudson (D-Troutdale), a high school and community college educator. “I’m glad that this bill will get educators some immediate relief and break down bureaucratic barriers to hiring for our local schools.”

HB 4030 establishes a grant program for districts to use to recruit and retain educators and other school employees. It makes temporary changes to streamline or waive some professional development requirements, licensing requirements and non-essential reporting requirements that add to the burden for school districts and educational employees.

Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham)Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham), a former school board member in the Reynolds School District, said: “For many students, school is a safe place from the uncertainty and instability of the pandemic. Teachers and other school staff go above and beyond to support our kids. I’m proud of the work that was done on this bill to support school employees and address these shortages.”

HB 4030 also includes changes to make hiring easier for school districts. It directs the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to make changes to license reciprocity policies to enable more out-of-state educators to become licensed in Oregon. The bill also creates a statewide education job portal that will streamline the job search process for educators and staff.

The bill is part of a suite of policies to retain and support workers in Oregon’s essential industries, such as nurses (House Bill 4003), behavioral health workers (House Bill 4004), and child care providers (House Bill 4005).

The bill passed the House 48-11 and now moves to the Senate.