Substitute teachers press for state office, benefits and training as committee hears two bills

Substitute teachers, education associations and local officials told the Oregon Senate Education Committee on Feb. 24 that substitute teaching has grown into a large, often precarious workforce and urged the committee to pass two related bills to improve training, benefits and transparency.

Senate Bill 3 22 would create an Office of Substitute Teachers within the Oregon Department of Education, require an online professional‑development contract for substitutes, establish substitute teacher licenses and permit a pathway from restricted to regular substitute licensure, create a process for substitutes who work half time or more to enroll in health‑care plans, and declare an emergency effective July 1, 2025. The bill includes multiple sections the substitute teachers’ task force recommended, witnesses said.

Debbie Ferry, representing the Oregon Substitute Teachers Association, said SB 3 22 is “about fiscal accountability and transparency” and argued the provisions are interdependent. “These 5 proposals were voted for in favor by a quorum of task force members,”…