[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6224065,"mediaKeyId","3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01","parentId",3554769,"title","Online charter-school teacher urges removal of in-person grant barriers and enrollment caps that limit remote students","audioSeconds",448,"startMs",2607000,"endMs",3055000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01&start=2607&end=3055","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01/thumbnail_2607000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6224065/Oregon/Online-charter-school-teacher-urges-removal-of-in-person-grant-barriers-and-enrollment-caps-that-limit-remote-students","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224065-46f5d96d73f9efe7b2fcb8617dda66fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437752&Signature=el62~QzqkESLIybH2aaY1LfC2EtqSokYDaAKeVUBQkFSkhMblpt3uGdYpeYjFefZvAzkAq4SCn5DwxETXVkxqn9NhNwdNqXpV6jRe8CmLULhdfKt1znFUwzl5xK7nRJj7SQJz2ZNhA2a0vI-Gk-2BJtxd9AZX1DWXTluqIuTDaEXmEoDnOEpn6v7h8TRpY5TO4GvB9DmYVokhx0~6tUOxgqGPOTVUjwMQ-e5FIAKF0~77y0cLcPAapdcJIk72l-bewieGZK3O1I8LuqzzUBdbzGxjJSn0PidCVAwHTaHlHcg3uY60Gym0pM4t0p~1cUIn5Br7HjK14FBY-OkA0W0fQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","article","An administrator for three online public charter schools told the Senate Education Committee May 28 that grant and enrollment rules create funding and access barriers for students choosing full-time online public education.

\"We were approved for a grant ... and then we weren't able to access any of the funding because there was an 80 hour in-person requirement,\" Mitchell Page, who works with Cascade Virtual Academy, Insight School Oregon Painted Hills and Destination Career Academy of Oregon, told senators. Page said his schools serve students from \"Lincoln City to Ontario, from Astoria down to Medford\" and that an 80‑hour in‑person grant requirement is inequitable for families who choose online education.

Page also said the state's 3 percent enrollment cap on district online programs often requires families to seek waivers and can restrict access for students who prefer or need a virtual option. He urged lawmakers to remove in‑person hour requirements on grants and reconsider the cap to improve equity for geographically dispersed students.

Page described the schools' growth to just over 2,000 students across the three programs and noted that special-education and English-learner populations are significant at his schools. He urged lawmakers to reconsider administrative grant rules that assume localized in-person access and to align funding requirements with the realities of statewide virtual programs.

The committee did not take action at the hearing; senators said the testimony would be considered during policy and funding reviews.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Education 05/28/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","An administrator for three online public charter schools told the Senate Education Committee May 28 that grant rules requiring an in-person hour threshold and districts' 3% enrollment caps create inequities for families choosing full-time online public education.","taxTitle","Education, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17625,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6224070,"Music and arts teachers warn cuts and scheduling barriers are reducing student access to arts education",514,177000,691000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01&start=177&end=691","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01/thumbnail_177000.jpg","/articles/6224070/Oregon/Music-and-arts-teachers-warn-cuts-and-scheduling-barriers-are-reducing-student-access-to-arts-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224070-97f62de908ee20c893938cc307f56ca1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437752&Signature=T0qhZvQrgA-ES6bVsrGq9ejqNKInesOajoXzrdBjmFupuv6lAMCtK3SQKhZkawsntC5hrSN5A7hz4fBpyh6S60A0bDfme7zihE2DMmmWAfVimQuYh9hLPO99V3F8S4QwVLo8XWS~den9P4NWABbY3iqWlTSw8T01JvDAny4QbLMPlNODXpd4NePVhrFS5dXnJcvb0vv7DmlAZJQ3nwGOahlHIEMsgfuhb7RCMdkW6t43mUWDHzS03gEUa3jx6Q7O74K1TLwuk47EZtHF7KkC6S76cM5Rszburh5tkG11kWcar6muN-5QU8YsrDOs3N9eTckAC57VdJQEcP244ImJBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Music and theater educators testifying May 28 told the Senate Education Committee that cuts to arts staffing, schedule constraints and lost positions are reducing student access to arts education, especially in elementary schools.

\"Band is a community of belonging and safety,\" said Jeffrey Johnson, band director at Poynter and Evergreen Middle Schools. Johnson told senators a parent told him the band \"saved her student's life\" and recommended that the Oregon Department of Education encourage elementary band programs to be held during the school day rather than after school to avoid transportation-related inequities.

Jason Sabino, a choir director at R. A. Brown Middle School and Century High School, described juggling multiple choirs across two campuses and nearly losing one high-school choir because of staffing changes. \"Programs are under constant pressure, and once they're gone, they're gonna be incredibly hard to rebuild,\" Sabino said.

Witnesses also described the loss of theater programs and district librarians, and recommended targeted investments in staffing, equitable scheduling and facility space to sustain arts offerings. Several senators noted arts classes support broader learning, including math and social-emotional skills.

The committee took no formal action at the hearing but heard repeated testimony that arts programs provide critical social and academic benefits and that scheduling and funding decisions materially affect equitable access.","Band, choir and theater teachers told the Senate Education Committee May 28 that cuts to arts staffing and after-school scheduling inequities are limiting access for students and removing stabilizing school programs that support academic and social outcomes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6224075,"Elementary teachers urge investment in early literacy and warn third-grade writing test may be developmentally inappropriate",283,1027000,1310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01&start=1027&end=1310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01/thumbnail_1027000.jpg","/articles/6224075/Oregon/Elementary-teachers-urge-investment-in-early-literacy-and-warn-third-grade-writing-test-may-be-developmentally-inappropriate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224075-e1f19961d3fb0334e1db4f6f9dcef88d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437752&Signature=A6gX4ldY7DxDkYW8d~ly0EcEk7uWmxSFQolXJAZAUKfuq3yRcP9QjgZwpLw3yqwBCnmXKuJNZhrTAr6~XV~lin3E5H79NOxRiKYFvqipjngsJdULZSG49UIlYWQKgQ5oAI5~HSjO1e3hvyFIjAr9A1DlW5voCfcCruGjZ1Y4U5-8cGwwtHX64e2319Ub9Y~-q1vbvIttzVKbGprh5dp-yePQnmVGjsjOx9Gif8fjrVpgIHjjUqd4NZz~8JDVz0mdlTpH1TYzCdSG~t3ArbXax4fThHJbYXZD0zf-k3RVDdrOr~YQC0lR-d7wpv6KjThxHFh8KuVff8~jCmQMT9NIrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Second-grade teachers and elementary educators told the Senate Education Committee May 28 that investments in evidence-based literacy instruction are producing gains, and they urged lawmakers to protect and expand funding for early reading supports.

\"Using science to adjust our instruction and find ways to best support our students is so beneficial. And I have seen huge literacy gains this year,\" Leslie Curran, a second-grade teacher at Banks Elementary School, told the committee.

Curran said her school has a 120-minute literacy block that allows for direct instruction and additional targeted interventions five days a week. She said targeted intervention and small-group work by reading specialists and instructional aides are essential to prevent students from falling behind. Curran argued that students who are not reading by fourth grade face long-term consequences and recommended prioritizing funding for primary grades and paraprofessional support.

Curran also warned against using a single, developmentally demanding test to determine funding. \"If a 9 year old can write a 5 paragraph essay citing 2 sources\" will be the metric that affects funding, she said, and she told senators she does not believe that expectation is developmentally appropriate.

Committee members and witnesses discussed attendance and post-pandemic learning losses as complicating factors, and Curran emphasized the role of small classes and instructional aides in allowing teachers to differentiate instruction. Senators thanked witnesses and said they would consider the testimony in budget and assessment policy discussions.

No committee action was taken at the hearing.","Second-grade teachers told the Senate Education Committee May 28 that explicit, science-of-reading instruction and dedicated intervention time are producing literacy gains, and they asked lawmakers to protect funding and avoid tying elementary funding to developmentally inappropriate tests.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6224080,"Teachers tell Senate committee emergency licensing, multiple jobs and class-size pressure are straining classrooms",238,250000,488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01&start=250&end=488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01/thumbnail_250000.jpg","/articles/6224080/Oregon/Teachers-tell-Senate-committee-emergency-licensing-multiple-jobs-and-class-size-pressure-are-straining-classrooms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224080-26aef04fb103b936caa062f6f86fc2b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437752&Signature=ZF6CgI8f2WIadlwcqNbLyxbTSvKs6Glux~UCgbM6jmMUb33wFYmpAKeagWms6FsP3pf3iDhyMawrRFH-XNJiKlJf-3M5XNOL8siVOhbGgS0fOoE054FPw3iPKVGe3TxOOVC9AeJT0Vb7AkhwtLfbqgMirX0oSSmiD3VXx6XLUpJRks8MRNJiHEnn5-H7~nzoIxNqnH9bVDoQcZjgrAzD~V3-D55GS4L8pZrSCQmZVPJiEa9nCgf8pwUBSPw53TiJ9c6VMsuhCqYvMyaliTIzGNqxb5Yz3u2nBuDC8tmkst9yCIfrWbUEH~HmnYq1e64V-5pGyy2RgP7ZHX3MZWuSwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Teachers from multiple districts told the Senate Education Committee May 28 that workforce shortages and credentialing pressures are reshaping classroom assignments and increasing burdens on individual educators.

\"It's unsustainable and it's becoming a norm,\" Jason Sabino, a choir director who teaches at R. A. Brown Middle School and Century High School, told the committee, referring to the rise in educators working without completed credentialing. \"I'm on a restricted emergency license and like nearly 2,000 other Oregon educators this year. That number has grown by over 40% in just 1 year.\"

Sabino described working across two campuses, taking a second job as artistic director of a community choir to supplement household income, and losing part of his high-school full-time-equivalent assignment because of an involuntary staffing shift. He said cuts had nearly eliminated one of his three high-school choirs and that next year he may be reassigned to teach middle‑school physical education, a subject for which he has no background.

Other witnesses highlighted class-size pressure and the importance of paraprofessionals. Leslie Curran, a second-grade teacher, said a class size of 16 to 18 with an instructional aide is ideal for early grades; she reported having 23 pupils this year and 27 last year. Multiple witnesses warned that looming budget cuts would raise elementary classroom sizes by three to five students in many districts.

Mark Springer, a longtime math teacher, described programs such as \"J Term\" that support credit recovery and enrichment, and urged further investment to reduce class sizes and expand services for special education, English learners and mental-health supports.

Several teachers asked lawmakers to consider recruitment and retention measures, review emergency-licensing processes, and fund scheduling and staffing that match program realities. Senators thanked the witnesses and said the committee would consider the testimony during budget and policy deliberations.

No formal action was taken during the informational hearing.","Educators who testified May 28 told Oregon senators that growing numbers of teachers on restricted or emergency licenses, widespread need for second jobs, and evolving staffing assignments are increasing workload and threatening program continuity.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6224085,"Oregon teachers tell Senate committee student mental-health gap and special-education strain are crippling classrooms",0,4764000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01&start=4764&end=4764","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3554769-9ee6b3f1c0d56d47d439c02cf8241e01/thumbnail_4764000.jpg","/articles/6224085/Oregon/Oregon-teachers-tell-Senate-committee-student-mental-health-gap-and-special-education-strain-are-crippling-classrooms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224085-b671aa7277cf075eb6c2a80e12422484/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437752&Signature=JB3oYmH1EZ9fBWFb5CE6mhRyozt5CObi8gUGYz75vj9LfsneI6m-tnKzmBmKV2ikMvDRYjffYF07DDPXt4EnGRpCeQ7G5DtVt~mPim-8WrOGFdDffWYMatve9bV21UakXSqCTaSFIZNxgA~V4n1DhsZ0jBUZ~yFhrE1mVJnQKVDIZzdoSUw1nNNGvAaI-FLGFCwkFhbLvpfxI9U2LIN05v6osQlp54hBcnevx1dL-eN6-R9zI9jSh7jW8U1tw1H85eA4-ppwbpnE-Zn6bwl5XWpRpk-JuXZGVVwdD1plCoZ8RwIajN1XDsR~kaLOROgyBLnxlwE7hvV3WdH~0oXYvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Frederick and members of the Senate Education Committee heard repeated testimony May 28 from classroom teachers and special-education staff that shortages in mental-health services and special-education staffing are producing emergency-level behavioral incidents and swallowing staff time.

The witnesses said students arriving with unmet basic needs and untreated trauma are increasingly dysregulated in class, and that existing school counselors and mental-health providers are insufficient to meet demand.

\"The extreme needs of the students paired with the lack of staff combined with the paperwork needs and the high needs parents in special education is really not a sustainable job at this time,\" Poppy Elshaug, a special-education teacher at Grant Watts Elementary School, told the committee. \"Special education is gonna implode the public school system if something isn't done on a much larger scale than my building and my district.\"

Elshaug described daily physical assaults on staff — kicking, biting, spitting and thrown chairs — and said rising behavior needs force special-education teachers to spend hours on documentation and scheduling rather than instruction. She told senators she spends roughly \"2 to 3 hours\" a day on required paperwork, and that she wrote \"over 125 schedules last year\" to cover rapidly changing student needs and staff shortages.

Teachers from rural and coastal districts echoed the call for more mental-health staffing. Samantha Dedrick, a first-grade teacher at a dual-language school, said post-pandemic cohorts show \"a lack of empathy, a lack of social skills, a lack of resiliency\" and that counselors and behavior specialists can no longer keep up when several students per classroom need intensive support. Cindy Doherty Spencer of Grant Union Junior Senior High said her district for the first time in 15 years had a full-time counselor funded by a federal grant, and she worried that the position would be lost when one-time funds expire.

Committee members pressed witnesses on root causes and prevention. Elshaug said schools are largely reactive; she and others pointed to unmet basic needs — housing instability, food insecurity, family trauma — and limited community mental-health capacity as upstream problems that leave teachers responding to acute incidents rather than preventing them.

Elshaug and other witnesses asked the committee for stable, increased funding for school-based mental-health services, more dedicated special-education staff, and policies that reduce paperwork burdens that currently divert teacher time from students.

If the committee chooses to act, staffers and teachers suggested investments in permanent counselor positions, increased recruiting and retention for special-education roles, and community-level mental-health capacity-building. Senators thanked the witnesses and said the hearing would inform future policymaking but did not announce immediate proposals.

The hearing included multiple teacher speakers across districts and grade levels; their testimony to the committee covered both classroom observations and program-level needs.

Looking ahead, witnesses said the demand for sustained mental-health services is likely to continue without targeted state or federal investment and urged lawmakers to consider funding models that avoid sudden loss when grants expire.","Teachers and special-education staff told the Senate Education Committee during a May 28 informational hearing that rising student trauma and chronic shortages of mental-health services and special-education staffing are producing more disruptive behavior, long paperwork burdens and daily crisis responses that reduce instructional time.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Online charter-school teacher urges removal of in-person grant barriers and enrollment caps that limit remote students

Music and arts teachers warn cuts and scheduling barriers are reducing student access to arts education

Elementary teachers urge investment in early literacy and warn third-grade writing test may be developmentally inappropriate

Teachers tell Senate committee emergency licensing, multiple jobs and class-size pressure are straining classrooms

Oregon teachers tell Senate committee student mental-health gap and special-education strain are crippling classrooms