Shortage of certified driver education instructors limits teen access in Eastern Oregon

A shortage of certified driver education instructors in Eastern Oregon is limiting both classroom and behind-the-wheel training for teenagers, local program leaders and ODOT officials say. "This is the biggest barrier," said Billie-Jo Nickens, Oregon Department of Transportation transportation safety coordinator in La Grande, referring to Western Oregon University instructor courses being held mainly in central and western Oregon; ODOT aims to hold one instructor course annually in Eastern Oregon, and this year’s course is scheduled to start in Enterprise on March 14.

Becoming an ODOT-approved instructor requires completing and passing the traffic safety education course run through Western Oregon University, then applying for a certificate through WOU before being eligible for hire by an ODOT-approved program. ODOT-stated course-hour requirements for a teen driver education course are 30 hours of classroom instruction, 6 hours of behind-the-wheel experience and 6 hours of active backseat observation. Recruitment materials describe "a simple registration process, online and hands-on instruction and less than nine weeks of your time" to complete instructor training, and they note that "individuals employed by a commercial driving school may be subject to additional requirements."

Baker High School has been trying to restore a regular driver education class during the school day and is seeking a second certified instructor to share duties. Skye Flanagan, principal at Baker High School, said the school hopes to offer driver ed as a daytime class again, and Simon Lamson, the district’s athletic and activities director who is certified to teach the program, said, "The intent was always to have a second instructor."

La Grande Drives! has limited enrollment because of the instructor shortage, program director Amber Shuler said, adding, "We could never get anyone from our local area to take the class." Shuler, who has taught driver education for about nine years, emphasized program outcomes: "Our drives and curriculum are very statistically proven to help learn safe driving habits," and "We teach science-based techniques." For job-shadowing or instructor information she can be reached at amber.shuler@lagrandesd.org or 541-910-7990; La Grande Driver Education’s program phone is 541-910-6417.

Central Oregon training options include a High Desert Education Service District certification session that begins Feb. 28 in Redmond; High Desert Driver Education lists its program phone as 541-693-5697 and the ESD header contact as 541-693-5600 with info@hdesd.org, and its training site is at 2804 SW 6th Street, Redmond. High Desert’s recruitment materials say no prior teaching experience is required for certification training, applicants must hold a valid Oregon driver’s license, and schedules can range from 2 to 20 hours per week.

Regional and statewide hiring leads include Baker School District (simon.lamson@bakersd.org), Malheur Education Service District (541-473-4821; Jodi.westerberg@malesd.org), PRNDL Driver Education (541-279-0160; PRNDLdrivered@gmail.com), NW Driver Ed, LLC (541-248-1962; Drive@NWDriversEd.com), Oregon Driver Training Institute (503-225-0770; Toll free 877-871-9208; Jesse@oregondrivertraining.com) and the Oregon Driver Education Center recruitment phone 503-581-3783 for people exploring instructor jobs.

ODOT and program directories stress safety benefits for teens who complete ODOT-approved driver education courses, saying participants greatly reduce their chances of being in a fatal crash and have fewer traffic convictions and suspensions. The Enterprise instructor course starting March 14 and the High Desert session that began Feb. 28 are intended to widen the pipeline, but local schools and programs in Baker City and La Grande remain actively recruiting local candidates to restore class capacity and expand behind-the-wheel slots for Eastern Oregon teens.