The Regional Educator Network (REN) was implemented to help create more equity across Oregon's school districts by providing more educator support processes across the board. The REN affords every school district more opportunities for their educators leading to better outcomes for their students.
In the past, Oregon has offered competitive grants to fund programs for school districts, such as mentoring and professional learning opportunities. However, this often left smaller, rural school districts at a disadvantage, creating a lack of equity within the state. In response to that, Oregon did away with the competitive grant model, and instead, created Regional Educator Network. Through the REN, using an equity lens, decisions are made focusing on opportunities and outcomes that reflect the needs of the whole region, rather than just one district.
This process will prevent districts from working in isolation from one another, and instead promotes collaboration, creativity, and innovation within today's education system. The goal is that this work will be centered around improving systems that support educators within five key parts of the educator advancement continuum:
- Educator recruitment pathways
- Educator preparation
- Support for new educators
- Professional growth and development
- Career advancement
