Legislative Briefs
Restorative justice
What it does: Senate Bill 736 would establish a task force to study restorative justice systems used in other states, both in education and juvenal justice, and make recommendations that are designed to reduce exclusionary discipline in schools, juvenile incarceration and racial disparities in education and juvenile justice.
What’s next: The Senate Education Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Reductions in teacher workforces
What it does: Since the passage of the Minority Teacher Act of 1991, Oregon law has the stated goal of making “the number of minority teachers, including administrators, proportionate to the number of minority children enrolled in the public schools of this state.” That goal has never been achieved. House Bill 2001 would change the way that school districts are required to handle reductions in educator staff positions by prioritizing retention of diverse teachers. The bill would add definitions for “diverse” and “diversity ratio” and limit the definition of “merit.”
What’s next: The House Education Committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Foreign exchange student funding
What it does: A provision in the State School Fund distribution formula allows extra funding distributions for students in very small schools and foreign exchange students residing in dormitories operated by school districts, recognizing these programs’ cost pressures. HB 2152 and HB 2330 would make these additional funding disbursements permanent.
What’s next: The House Education Committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday, Feb. 16.