00 Enrolled HJR 25 01 Supporting and encouraging the continued recruitment and retention of international 02 educators on J-1 and H-1B visas in the state. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:  05 WHEREAS the state is committed to providing students a high quality education and 06 ensuring each student has the opportunity to succeed academically and reach the student's full 07 potential; and 08 WHEREAS recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators is essential to the 09 success of the state's educational institutions, the future of the state's students, and the long- 10 term sustainability and well-being of the state's communities; and 11 WHEREAS many school districts in the state, particularly school districts located in 12 rural and remote communities, face persistent shortages of qualified educators, especially in 13 the critical subject areas of math, science, and special education, which creates significant 14 challenges in maintaining consistent, high quality instruction and places added strain on 15 grades kindergarten through 12 and higher education institutions; and 16 WHEREAS a growing number of school districts in the state have hired international 01 educators through the J-1 and H-1B visa processes to address shortages and expand workforce 02 capacity; and 03 WHEREAS the J-1 visa, which is commonly used as a temporary, exchange-based 04 program to promote cross-cultural learning through educational and professional experiences, 05 and the H-1B visa, which is used to sponsor professionals in specialty occupations, provide 06 critical mechanisms for school districts in the state to fill teaching vacancies with experienced 07 and qualified educators; and 08 WHEREAS the Kuspuk School District began hiring international educators in 2020 09 to address persistent staffing shortages, and, from 2021 to 2025, 60 percent of the district's 10 teaching staff, on average, have worked under J-1 or H-1B visas and more than half of the 11 district's schools have been staffed entirely by visa-holding educators; and 12 WHEREAS the Kodiak Island Borough School District began an H-1B visa 13 sponsorship program in 2022 and has since filled 22 teaching positions through the H-1B visa 14 process; and 15 WHEREAS the North Slope Borough School District faced a shortage of 50 teachers 16 in the district's remote village schools and successfully responded in 2022 by hiring qualified 17 international educators for H-1B positions from 2022 to 2024; and 18 WHEREAS, after initial success with educators on J-1 visas, the Bering Strait School 19 District transitioned to H-1B sponsorship to retain experienced teachers and filed 20 approximately 148 H-1B labor condition applications between fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 21 2024; and 22 WHEREAS the independent efforts of a few remote school districts to meet staffing 23 shortages have since expanded into a statewide strategy, and the districts now attribute much 24 of an educational continuity to international educators, including educators who have credited 25 cohorts of visa-holding teachers, who make it possible to sustain school operations and 26 achieve the state's commitment to providing each student a high quality education and an 27 opportunity to succeed academically; and 28 WHEREAS the J-1 and H-1B visa programs allow international educators to 29 contribute to the education system by sharing specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise that 30 may not be readily available within the local workforce; and 31 WHEREAS educators from the Philippines have been among the most common 01 international hires in the state, widely recognized for a strong English proficiency, 02 comparable professional training, strong historical ties to the United States of America as an 03 allied nation dating as far back as the First and Second World Wars, a knowledge of the 04 nation's history and culture, and an exceptional adaptability to life and teaching in the state's 05 diverse and remote communities; and 06 WHEREAS educators on J-1 and H-1B visas form strong connections to students, 07 families, and communities while working under the visas, and school districts see quality 08 training and positive outcomes from those relationships; and 09 WHEREAS, despite critical contributions to the state's schools, educators on J-1 and 10 H-1B visas often face significant challenges related to immigration status, including the 11 unpredictability of the duration of visas, restrictions on job mobility, and the varying periods 12 behind the processing times on immigration paperwork, which can affect an educator's 13 continued service in the state and compromise the state's ability to provide quality education 14 to its students; and 15 WHEREAS the continued success of the state's education system depends on the 16 support, retention, recruitment, and inclusion of skilled educators, especially educators on J-1 17 and H-1B visas, who are the most vulnerable members of the state's educational workforce; 18 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly supports educators on 19 J-1 and H-1B visas and recognizes the vital roles those educators play in the state's 20 commitment to providing students a high quality education, ensuring each student has the 21 opportunity to succeed academically and reach the student's full potential, and enriching each 22 student's educational experience; and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages school 24 districts, higher education institutions, and other educational organizations to continue to 25 support the recruitment and retention of educators on J-1 and H-1B visas, particularly in areas 26 of the state experiencing an ongoing shortage of educators; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages policymakers 28 at the state and federal levels to support the educational needs of the state's rural and remote 29 communities and the educators in those communities who are on J-1 and H-1B visas by 30 advocating for policies that acknowledge those educators as a vital part of the state's 31 workforce through adjusting or extending the status of the educators' visas when permissible, 01 increasing job mobility, and ensuring greater security for the international educators who 02 meaningfully contribute to the academic success of the state's students; and be it 03 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its commitment 04 to foster an educational environment in which educators, regardless of visa status, race, 05 ethnicity, nationality, or cultural background are valued, supported, and empowered to 06 provide high quality education to the state's students; and be it 07 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges state and federal 08 policymakers to take action to support the educational needs of the state's rural and remote 09 communities and the educators in those communities who are on J-1 and H-1B visas by 10 advocating for policies that provide pathways to support international educators, such as 11 adjusting or extending visa statuses, when possible, increasing job mobility, and ensuring 12 greater security for international educators who contribute meaningfully to the academic 13 success of the state's students and serve as a vital part of the state's workforce; and be it 14 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly encourages the 15 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress, national leaders and advocates, and federal 16 policymakers to provide pathways for the continued recruitment and retention of international 17 educators and to preserve and protect the legal status of highly qualified and skilled educators, 18 especially educators on J-1 and H-1B visas whose invaluable contributions and 19 accomplishments prove integral to the success of the state's diverse education system. 20 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 21 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 22 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.