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HR: Portland schools report fewer vacancies than last year; apprenticeships and onboarding steps underway
Summary
HR staff told the committee that criminal history record check expirations are limited and mostly substitutes, certification processing is delayed 3–4 weeks at the state, vacancies are down from last year, and the district is piloting apprenticeships and strengthening onboarding and exit interviews to improve retention.
Jennifer Slebank, who the chair identified as the district HR director, previewed personnel items that will be posted for the full board and updated the committee on hiring, certification and onboarding efforts.
Slebank said the district had only a “handful” of criminal history records check (CHRC) expirations — mainly substitutes — and that certification issues largely reflect employees teaching outside their current certification area while they complete courses or await state Department of Education action. “We're in pretty good shape with CHRC violations right now. We only have a handful. They're all substitutes,” Slebank said.
She presented four documents that will appear on the board agenda: probationary first‑year contracts, one‑year‑only hires, administrative personnel and an information‑only list of other hires since the last board meeting. Slebank said the district has processed hundreds of offboarding and onboarding transactions this summer and is ahead of where it was at the same point last year when vacancies were higher.
Slebank highlighted recruitment and retention work: a staff member has prepared 30/60/90‑day check‑ins for new hires, exit‑interview surveys to collect anonymous offboarding data, and stay interviews to understand why long‑tenure staff remain. She also described an apprenticeship connection for EdTech roles with a neighboring district to create an internal pipeline.
On resignations, Slebank noted the teacher contract requires a 30‑day notice; the district coordinates with receiving districts and may release employees earlier if a replacement is found. Board members asked for continued reporting on offboarding reasons and for data comparisons to prior years to monitor retention trends.
