HJR 25: Supporting and encouraging the continued recruitment and retention of international educators on J-1 and H-1B visas in the state.
00 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 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 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 WHEREAS the state is committed to providing students a high quality education and 05 ensuring each student has the opportunity to succeed academically and reach the student's full 06 potential; and 07 WHEREAS recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators is essential to the 08 success of the state's educational institutions, the future of the state's students, and the long- 09 term sustainability and well-being of the state's communities; and 10 WHEREAS many school districts in the state, particularly schools districts located in 11 rural and remote communities, face persistent shortages of qualified educators, especially in 12 the critical subject areas of math, science, and special education, which creates significant 13 challenges in maintaining consistent, high quality instruction and places added strain on 14 grades kindergarten through twelve and higher education institutions; and 15 WHEREAS a growing number of school districts in the state have hired international 16 educators through the J-1 and H-1B visa processes to address shortages and expand workforce
01 capacity; and 02 WHEREAS the J-1 visa, which is commonly used as a temporary, exchange-based 03 program to promote cross-cultural learning through educational and professional experiences, 04 and the H-1B visa, which is used to sponsor professionals in specialty occupations, provide 05 critical mechanisms for school districts in the state to fill teaching vacancies with experienced 06 and qualified educators; and 07 WHEREAS the Kuspuk School District began hiring international educators in 2020 08 to address persistent staffing shortages, and, from 2021 to 2025, 60 percent of the district's 09 teaching staff, on average, have worked under J-1 or H-1B visas, and more than half of the 10 district's schools have been staffed entirely by visa-holding educators; and 11 WHEREAS the Kodiak Island Borough School District began an H-1B visa 12 sponsorship program in 2022 and has since filled 22 teaching positions through the H-1B visa 13 process; and 14 WHEREAS the North Slope Borough School District faced a shortage of 50 teachers 15 in the district's remote village schools and successfully responded in 2022 by hiring qualified 16 international educators for H-1B positions from 2022 to 2024; and 17 WHEREAS, after initial success with educators on J-1 visas, the Bering Strait School 18 District transitioned to H-1B sponsorship to retain experienced teachers and filed 19 approximately 148 H-1B labor condition applications between fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 20 2024; and 21 WHEREAS the independent efforts of a few remote school districts to meet staffing 22 shortages have since expanded into a statewide strategy, and the districts now attribute much 23 of an educational continuity to international educators, including educators who have credited 24 cohorts of visa-holding teachers, who make it possible to sustain school operations and 25 achieve the state's commitment to providing each student a high quality education and an 26 opportunity to succeed academically; and 27 WHEREAS the J-1 and H-1B visa programs allow international educators to 28 contribute to the education system by sharing specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise that 29 may not be readily available within the local workforce; and 30 WHEREAS educators from the Philippines have been among the most common 31 international hires in the state, widely recognized for a strong English proficiency,
01 comparable professional training, strong historical ties to the United States of America as an 02 allied nation dating as far back as the First and Second World Wars, a knowledge of the 03 nation's history and culture, and exceptional adaptability to life and teaching in the state's 04 diverse and remote communities; and 05 WHEREAS educators on J-1 and H1-B visas form strong connections to students, 06 families, and communities while working under the visas, and school districts see quality 07 training and positive outcomes from those relationships; and 08 WHEREAS, despite critical contributions to the state's schools, educators on J-1 and 09 H-1B visas often face significant challenges related to immigration status, including the 10 unpredictability of the duration of visas, restrictions on job mobility, and the varying periods 11 behind the processing times on immigration paperwork, which can affect an educator's 12 continued service in the state and compromise the state's ability to provide quality education 13 to its students; and 14 WHEREAS the continued success of the state's education system depends on the 15 support, retention, recruitment, and inclusion of skilled educators, especially educators on J-1 16 and H-1B visas, who are the most vulnerable members of the state's educational workforce; 17 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly supports educators on 18 J-1 and H-1B visas and recognizes the vital roles those educators play in the state's 19 commitment to providing students a high quality education, ensuring each student has the 20 opportunity to succeed academically and reach the student's full potential, and enriching each 21 student's educational experience; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages school 23 districts, higher education institutions, and other educational organizations to continue to 24 support the recruitment and retention of educators on J-1 and H-1B visas, particularly in areas 25 of the state experiencing an ongoing shortage of educators; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages policymakers 27 at the state and federal levels to support the educational needs of the state's rural and remote 28 communities and the educators in those communities who are on J-1 and H-1B visas by 29 advocating for policies that acknowledge those educators as a vital part of the state's 30 workforce through adjusting or extending the status of the educators' visas when permissible, 31 increasing job mobility, and ensuring greater security for the international educators who
01 meaningfully contribute to the academic success of the state's students; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its commitment 03 to foster an educational environment in which educators, regardless of visa status, race, 04 ethnicity, nationality, or cultural background are valued, supported, and empowered to 05 provide high quality education to the state's students; and be it 06 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges state and federal 07 policymakers to take action to support the educational needs of the state's rural and remote 08 communities and the educators in those communities who are on J-1 and H-1B visas by 09 advocating for policies that provide pathways to support international educators, such as 10 adjusting or extending visa statuses, when possible, increasing job mobility, and ensuring 11 greater security for international educators who contribute meaningfully to the academic 12 success of the state's students and serve as a vital part of the state's workforce; and be it 13 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly encourages the 14 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress, national leaders and advocates, and federal 15 policymakers to provide pathways for the continued recruitment and retention of international 16 educators and to preserve and protect the legal status of highly qualified and skilled educators, 17 especially educators on J-1 and H-1B visas whose invaluable contributions and 18 accomplishments prove integral to the success of the state's diverse education system. 19 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 20 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 21 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.