Building upon the Governor’s Council on Educator Advancement recommendations, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 182 in 2017, creating the Educator Advancement Council (EAC). This bill recognizes that high-quality educator preparation and ongoing, effective professional learning and support for educators are critical variables to excellent teaching, improved student learning, and educator retention.
The EAC coordinates a systemic approach to continuously assessing needs as well as coordinating priorities for services and resources to support Oregon educators. Since 2018, in partnership with state and local education agency partners, professional organizations, as well as institutions of higher education, the EAC has begun building P-20 system-wide capacity to align, coordinate, and integrate educator preparation and professional learning efforts to ensure that educators experience a seamless system of support throughout their careers, and to ensure that students experience high quality and culturally responsive learning, in particular students of color, students with disabilities, emerging bilingual students, and students navigating poverty, houselessness, and foster care.
The Council expands Oregon’s efforts to further support educators statewide including, but not limited to:
Establishing 10 Regional Educator Networks(REN) as a way to center teacher and community voices in designing and supporting open access to regional, high-quality, culturally responsive professional learning that reflects local context and career stages. RENs, each led by a coordinating body representative of the region, have organized around improving systems to support educators. There is a strong focus on funding innovative change ideas and not programs. This approach allows for educators’ experiences to drive the work, creating a structure for regional innovation.
Supporting the Oregon Teacher Scholars and Administrators Programs to help achieve purposes of the Educator’s Equity Act, including scholarships, mentoring, networking and other resources for racially or linguistically diverse teaching candidates.
Better aligning early learning professional development efforts with K-12.
Researching and addressing issues related to educator workforce supply and demand, including contributing to the Educator Equity Report.
Investing funds from the Student Success Act (HB 3427) to establish and support programs aimed at improving educational opportunities for Oregon students through a statewide strategy for increasing educator retention, diversity, mentoring and coaching, participation in educator preparation programs, and educator scholarships.
Use the following links to learn more about the current EAC Directors and EAC staff.
The Council is comprised of 21 directors with a broad range of voices, experiences, and perspectives from across the educator career continuum. As a statewide Council, the EAC intentionally seeks directors representing urban, suburban, rural and remote educators. Additionally, the EAC strives to have a Council that is racially, ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse and reflective of Oregon’s educators and students.
The Council is made up of four Standing Directors who represent the following state agencies :
The Oregon Department of Education
The Oregon Early Learning Division (soon to be the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care)
The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
The Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission
The Council is also made up of 17 Rotating Directors who represent:
Practicing teacher at a public elementary school
Practicing teacher at a public middle school
Practicing teacher at a public high school
Practicing educator at a public K12 school
Practicing educator at a public K12 school
Practicing educator at a public K12 school
Practicing administrator at a public K12 school
Practicing Superintendent at an Oregon Education Service District
Practicing Superintendent at an Oregon School District
Practicing Board Member at an Oregon School District
Practicing provider or professional in Early learning
Representative of a Professional education association
Representative of a Postsecondary institution educator preparation program
Representative of an education-focused nonprofit organization,
Representative of an education-focused philanthropic organization,
Representative of a federally recognized Tribe of this state
Representative of an education and equity-focused community-based organization representing families and students
The Educator Advancement Council's work is directed by several state policies passed by the Oregon Legislature since 2017. Links to relevant EAC policies are below.
