1. United States
2. Nev.
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge you to amend Assembly Bill 398 to include all educators in hard-to-fill positions, including education support professionals (ESPs) and other licensed education professionals (OLEPs). While AB398 is a step in the right direction—addressing compensation for certain hard-to-fill teaching roles—it unfortunately excludes other critical educators. Education support professionals keep our schools running every single day. Across our districts, we face severe shortages of ESPs—paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, instructional aides, food service workers, and more—positions that are undeniably hard to fill. Likewise, OLEPs—such as school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and speech-language pathologists—are essential to student success and well-being. These professionals often juggle unmanageable caseloads, making it nearly impossible to meet the growing needs of our schools. Every role matters when it comes to supporting our students and keeping our schools strong. Please act to correct this oversight and amend AB398 to include all hard-to-fill education positions.