ORS 342.940: Educator Advancement Council; members; duties; rules.

(1) As used in this section and ORS 342.943, “educator” means a person who is: (a) A teacher, an administrator or another school employee who is employed to provide instruction or support to students in early childhood education or in kindergarten through grade 12; or (b) Entering into or enrolled in an educator preparation program. (2)(a) The Educator Advancement Council is established for the purpose of: (A) Providing resources related to educator professional learning and other educator supports. (B) Convening a coalition of education stakeholders to align, coordinate and improve a statewide system of professional development and support for educators. (b) The council shall consist of 19 members appointed as follows: (A) The Department of Education, Department of Early Learning and Care, Higher Education Coordinating Commission and Teacher Standards and Practices Commission shall each appoint one representative to serve as a standing member. A standing member shall serve a term of four years at the pleasure of the appointing authority and is eligible for reappointment. If there is a vacancy for any cause, the appointing authority shall make an appointment to become immediately effective. A standing member may designate another individual to, in the absence of the standing member, act on behalf of the standing member. (B) Following appointment of the standing members under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the standing members shall appoint 15 rotating members as follows: (i) One elementary school teacher who is employed by a school district. (ii) One middle school teacher who is employed by a school district. (iii) One high school teacher who is employed by a school district. (iv) One classified staff member who is employed by a school district or an education service district. (v) Two educators who serve students in prekindergarten through grade 12 and are employed by a school district or an education service district. (vi) One school administrator who is employed by a school district. (vii) One superintendent of a school district. (viii) One superintendent of an education service district. (ix) One member of a school district board. (x) One early learning provider or professional. (xi) One representative of an approved educator preparation program, as defined in ORS 342.120, located in Oregon. (xii) One representative of a professional educator association. (xiii) One representative of a nonprofit organization focused on educational equity for students and families. (xiv) One representative of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Oregon. (c) Rotating members shall serve for terms of two years and shall be eligible for reappointment. If there is a vacancy for any cause, the standing members shall make an appointment that becomes immediately effective for the unexpired term. A rotating member may designate another individual to, in the absence of the rotating member, act on behalf of the rotating member. (3)(a) A majority of the standing members and a majority of the rotating members constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, official action by the council requires the approval of a majority of the members. The council shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson. (b) Official action by the council on matters related to the allocation or expenditure of state funds requires approval of a majority of the standing members only. (c) In addition to the appointments under subsection (2) of this section, the council may appoint nonvoting, ex officio members to serve in an advisory capacity. (4) The council shall meet at least four times per year at a time and place specified by the call of the chairperson or of a majority of the members. (5) Members on the council are not entitled to compensation, but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary travel and other expenses incurred by them in the performance of their official duties in the manner and amounts provided for in ORS 292.495. (6) The council shall: (a) Establish a system of educator networks, as described in ORS 342.943, by which every educator in this state has access to professional learning opportunities; (b) Oversee the beginning teacher and administrator mentorship program under ORS 329.788 to 329.820; (c) Coordinate the distribution of moneys to educator networks from the Educator Advancement Fund based on the needs of the educators identified by the networks; (d) Connect educator networks and facilitate communications within and among the networks to improve teaching and learning; and (e) Continuously assess the needs of educators in this state and coordinate priorities based on the moneys available for distribution from the Educator Advancement Fund. (7) The Department of Education shall provide staff support to the council. Support provided by the department shall include but not be limited to the following: (a) Administering the beginning teacher and administrator mentorship program under ORS 329.788 to 329.820. (b) Conducting and coordinating research to monitor: (A) Teaching and learning conditions; (B) Educator workforce supply and demand; and (C) Common outcomes and measures anticipated to promote improvement in teaching and learning. (c) Assisting the council in coordinating and connecting educator networks, supporting professional learning priorities, enabling access to professional learning and supports, leveraging funding sources and managing innovation funds. (d) Recommending statutory and agency rule changes needed to support the purposes of the council. (e) Supporting programs that help to achieve the purposes of the Educators Equity Act. (f) Supporting a statewide plan for increasing: (A) The supply of culturally diverse teacher candidates; and (B) The successful recruitment of effective educators to work in high-need schools and in practice areas with a shortage of educators. (g) Identifying high-leverage educator practices to be developed by educators throughout their careers. (h) Providing accountability of the council by ensuring that the council: (A) Gives preference, when making recommendations about funding distributions, to entities that have demonstrated success in improving student indicators. (B) Considers the delivery of services for the benefit of all regions of this state when establishing the system of educator networks. (C) Works toward improving student progress indicators identified by the Department of Education or set forth in ORS 350.014. (D) Includes and connects education providers and leaders from prekindergarten through post-secondary education. (i) Developing a system that allows for the statewide dissemination of emerging practices and evidence-based models. (j) Providing technical assistance to the council, including online systems for sharing professional learning resources and supporting educator networks. (k) Administering the distribution of grant and contract funds for programs described in this section. (L) Providing administrative support to the educator networks, including: (A) Making recommendations to the council about the selection of the sponsors of educator networks; (B) Providing technical assistance to educator networks; and (C) Entering into grant agreements or contracts for the distribution of funds to educator networks. (m) Providing other staff support for the administrative functions of the council. (8)(a) The State Board of Education, Early Learning Council, Higher Education Coordinating Commission and Teacher Standards and Practices Commission may adopt any rules necessary at the request of the Educator Advancement Council to carry out this section. (b) The Educator Advancement Council may adopt rules necessary to carry out this section or ORS 329.788 to 329.820 or 342.943. [2017 c.639 §1; 2017 c.639 §§20,25; 2021 c.518 §14; 2023 c.440 §3; 2023 c.592 §38; 2023 c.601 §1; 2024 c.95 §31; 2025 c.45 §1] Sec. 3. (1) The intergovernmental agreement establishing the Educator Advancement Council, entered into under ORS 342.490 prior to the effective date of this 2025 Act [September 26, 2025] shall terminate on December 31, 2025. (2) Upon termination of the intergovernmental agreement under subsection (1) of this section, the term of office for all members of the Educator Advancement Council shall cease. (3) A member of the council whose term of office has ceased under subsection (2) of this section is eligible for reappointment to the council. (4) On January 1, 2026, the state agencies described in ORS 342.940 (2)(b)(A) shall each appoint one representative to serve as a standing member of the council. (5) On or before January 31, 2026, the standing members appointed to the council under subsection (4) of this section shall appoint 15 rotating members to the council. (6) Notwithstanding the term of office specified in ORS 342.940, of the rotating members appointed to the council under subsection (5) of this section: (a) Eight shall serve for a term ending June 30, 2026; and (b) Seven shall serve for a term ending June 30, 2027. [2025 c.45 §3] Sec. 4. Section 3 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2028. [2025 c.45 §4]