To retain teachers of color, an Oregon bill takes aim at schools’ ‘first in, last out’ layoff policies Updated Feb 24, 2021; Posted Feb 24, 2021 House Speaker Tina Kotek is the chief sponsor of a bill that would require school districts to consider how firing a teacher of color would affect diversity in layoff decisions. Opponents say House Bill 2001, as written, would open a back door for administrators to punish critics.Oregonian file photo by Yuxing Zheng Facebook Share A bill proposed by Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek would address the demographic chasm between the state’s diverse public K-12 students and the overwhelmingly white teachers who educate them when making layoffs.