neighboring states. "The metrics used to determine merit-based pay are controversial and inequitable," OEA President Katherine Bishop said in a statement. As such, the expectation for charter schools with certified personnel remains the same as for all districts. Debate in opposition to the bill centered on concerns that it could negatively impact the teachers retirement system. 14. Giving Oklahomas teachers a pay raise has been proclaimed as one of the highest priorities of legislators and Governor Mary Fallin this session. The teacher-shortage figure of 600 cited by Pemberton exceeds the shortages reported prior to the 2018 tax increases and pay raises. The state Board of Education has approved 3,593emergency teaching certifications this year, including a record number issued in a single month this summer, indicating traditionally qualified teacher candidates are still hard to come by. 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by an off-the-formula district, a charter school, or otherwise. The new superintendent nixed Hofmeister's proposed $5,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise, which would have cost nearly $310 million. Whats not in the governors budget proposal. More:Epic Charter School changing how it takes attendance after state investigation. $4 million in appropriations and $1.5 million in reimbursements for the state to become Real ID compliant. 26-103 as the target of the appropriated funds for pay increases. This budget request is Hofmeisters last as state superintendent. We are anticipating a large number of positions to be open in the next two or three years, and the colleges of education will tell you we are not seeing a big increase in the number of individuals or young people going into education, Pemberton said. The request also includes a $66 million increase to the education funding formula, the chief source of public school funds. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. The raises would cost the state $310 billion and were supported by the Oklahoma Education Association. You can search the table by county or district. He previously served as senior Capitol reporter for The Journal Record, media director for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and chief editorial writer at The Oklahoman. The measure, which the governor backed, would use excess lottery proceeds to pay for half of a teachers raise. The leader of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, filed Senate Bill 482 to increase minimum salaries by $3,000 for teachers with under 15 years of experience and by $6,000 for educators with a 15-year career or longer. 8. The teacher pay raise would cost the state about $110 million, but Pemberton said given the states, $2.8 billion in revenue savings collections, , its time to strike while the iron is hot.. 11. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. Stitts budget also proposes squirreling away an additional $100 million into state reserve accounts. Most state agency funding is kept flat under Stitt's budget proposal. Are any districts exempt from giving a pay raise? The number of students completing teacher education programs fell by more than one-third between 2008 and 2019, according to a 2022 report by the AACTE. Then cast your vote, Meet the 2023 Mr. Inside/Mr. A reminder: This raise is permanent and recurring, and State Law prohibits a teachers salary from being reduced from one year to the next. Senate Bill 28 would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. He said it would put money toward reading materials, tutoring in the science of reading, dyslexia intervention grants, and hiring high school and college students to assist in schools. The Legislature also boosted overall funding of public schools, allowing districts to use the extra funds for teacher compensation if they chose. By: David Blatt. Read Oklahoma Gov. Please subscribe to keep reading. "We had 3,338 emergency certifications last year," 2023 Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs. Increased teacher salaries and greater school funding have also had little impact on educational outcomes. She is term limited after eight years in office. Additionally, one-quarter to one-third of districts had increased pay or benefits for bus drivers, relaxed hiring requirements for substitute teachers, and assigned staff to cafeteria duties. Panel passes Oklahoma teacher pay raise bill. 2. Gov. StateImpact Oklahoma isa collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU. Oklahoma teachers received a raise in pay in 2018, which is reflected in the table below. The Quality Counts 2021 report released earlier this year by Education Week showed that only four states had a lower share of 4th grade students reading at grade level than Oklahoma, based on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests that are administered in every state. The state's largest teachers union, the Oklahoma Education Association, said educator salaries should be competitive with the rest of the region. A survey released in February 2022 by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education found that in both the fall of 2020 and the fall of 2021, 20% of undergraduate-level teaching programs saw a drop in enrollment. 1, but also incentivize them as they continue to grow," Walters said. An Oklahoma lawmaker is pushing for a teacher pay raise to combat the states teacher shortage. The cost to the state would be $1.6 million, Pugh said. Lawmakers approved an average teacher pay raise of $6,100 in 2018 and added another $1,200 in 2019. In 2017, a survey conducted by the Oklahoma State School Boards Association showed there were 536 teaching vacancies that year. That means ensuring weve got the people and that investment in the (teacher) workforce., More:Superintendent election a 'battle' for future of Oklahoma public education. WebTeachers Retirement System 301 NW 63rd Street, Suite 500 Oklahoma City, OK 73116-7921 Toll-free at 877-738-6365 (TRS-RET-OFOK) or in Oklahoma City at 405-521-2387. Six takeaways from Gov. The compromise at the end of session was as follows: districts would receive funding for pay raises, and be expected, but not required, to give an average $1,220 raise, to be annualized in future years. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Oklahoma teacher say $2,500 pay raise not enough Franke, an educator of 20 years, said shed be happy with $2,500 as long as it goes into the Oklahomas minimum And officials expect the shortfall to grow significantly in the next few years. The downward trend comes against a background in which Oklahomas public schools were already producing some of the worst academic outcomes in the nation even after the recent infusion of state funding through tax increases and federal COVID-19 bailout funding. No state testing was conducted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 shutdown, but experts believe academic outcomes are even worse today in Oklahoma due in part to some schools refusal to return to full-time, in-person learning. The minimum for a first-year teacher with a It took three years to get there, but we had to start with lets put facts in front of our legislators, lets talk about what it would actually cost to keep teachers. OKLAHOMA CITY The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a teacher pay raise bill and other measures designed to keep educators in the classroom. He did not say what student performance measures would be used as evaluating tools, nor how school districts would be expected to implement the program. It also found that more than three-quarters had increased their teaching and nonteaching staff to levels exceeding those before the pandemic. COVID appears to have increased the stress of an already stressful job. More:Oklahoman finalist for National Teacher of the Year says cooperation is key to future. A new state law offers matching funds to cover half of a pay raise for teachers who earn certain credentials and mentor their colleagues, but it's unclear whether the criteria to earn an incentive raise would meet the same qualifications for matching funds from the 2022 law. The association is not backing the merit plan. Giving Oklahomas teachers a pay raise has been proclaimed as one of the highest priorities of legislators and 18. Oklahoma schools don't have enough support staff to meet needs, and their salaries are far too low averaging just $21,583 a year. Stitt approves revised incentive package to lure major company, Incentive package tweaks are on fast track as multibillion-dollar company eyes Pryor site, Global race is on to improve EV range in the cold, Moscow reportedly threatened new parents in Ukraine: Register your newborns as Russian or else, The impact of climate change will be felt worse in these three U.S. cities, Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza. $4.9 million for the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority for physician recruitment and equipment needs. Between the 1999-2000 and the 2017-2018 school years, the number of full- and part-time public school teachers rose 18% to 3.5 million teachers, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. SoonerCare 2.0, financially, doesnt need to be addressed in the FY 21 budget, he said. State reserves sit at just over $1 billion after Stitt directed the state to save an additional $200,000 last year, an idea that was hotly debated. Average salary is based on full-time equivalent teaching positions, which includes full- and part-time teachers. The measure would move the starting teacher pay to$39,601 from $36,601. We are seeing moms step out of the work force altogether, Pugh said. Kevin Stitts State of the State speech, Stitt asks lawmakers for $100 million to fund education during ongoing gaming dispute, Oklahoma Democrats respond to Stitt's State of the State address, Read Oklahoma Gov. We already have a teacher shortage, now the pipeline is almost empty. However, the Governor and legislative leaders stated publicly that the amount appropriated $58,858,503 was intended to fund ten months of a $1,220 pay raise, and they committed to fund it for twelve months next year. Click here to donate online to support our journalism. But by the 2019-2020 school year, the number of teachers fell to 3.2 million and by 2020-2021 to just over 3 million. Lawmakers are also introducing bills that would give teachers pay raises. At the end of the 2020 state budget year, Oklahoma school A 2% adjustment could be doable, he said. There are several reasons why a teacher might choose to leave the classroom, but the two most generally cited are burnout and inequitable earnings. Kevin Stitt will face Democrat Joy Hofmeister in the November general election for Oklahoma governor. 26-103, are to receive a salary increase in the 2019-2020 school year. Kevin Stitt's 2020 State of the State speech. First through fourth-year teachers would see $3,000 raises. And I think education, our young people and our teachers need to be a priority.. When the salaries are adjusted for inflation, teachers are earning on average $2,179 less per year than they did a decade ago. One unfortunate result has been that teachers are leaving the profession in droves. School districts seesawed between in-person, remote, and hybrid learning, forcing educators to adapt quickly to an environment often not conducive to learning, nor allowing them to provide the best educational model for students of all needs. Are charter schools required to give a pay raise? Part of the increase, should lawmakers give the OK, would include a $100 million investment in kindergarten through third-grade literacy. He told The Center Square he hoped the pay raises would alleviate the state's teacher shortage. offers matching funds to cover half of a pay raise for teachers, filed Senate Bill 482 to increase minimum salaries, House lawmakers were angry when Walters presented Hofmeister's budget request, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. No, while principals and other administrators could receive a raise under these provisions, they are not required to receive a raise. But now educators are poised to leave the workforce, having reached their maximum retirement benefit. Kevin Stitt's 2020 State of the State speech, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Courts opinion, effectively striking Referendum Petition 25 Should the Legislature agree to the increase, Oklahomas average teacher pay would rise to $59,000. Every day we strive to produce journalism that matters stories that strengthen accountability and transparency, provide value and resonate with readers like you. House legal staff instructed Walters to present his predecessor's budget plan, which he promised to change, because the state Board of Education hadn't yet approved an amendment to it. Legislative Democrats indicated they intend to fight against putting away more money in state savings accounts. Averages in the searchable table below are based on 2017-18 data and minimum salaries are for 2018-19. The measure passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 21-0. The state minimum salary was increased at all years of experience and degree levels by an average of $6,100. Have a story idea for Nuria? Both SB 1048 and HB 2765 have an effective date of July 1, 2019. "We had 3,338 emergency certifications last year," he said. A $150 million performance-based teacher pay raise plan from new state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters will advance to the Oklahoma Legislature, and so will a $100 million proposal to invest in reading instruction. Matt Pinnells efforts to create a cohesive brand for the state. Oklahoma Budget FY 2020 Highlights SAVINGS $200 million in Oklahomas savings account, putting Oklahoma on the path to storing two months of expenses, more StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership among Oklahomas public radio stations and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. While at The Oklahoman, he was the recipient of several awards, including first place in the editorial writing category of the Associated Press/Oklahoma News Executives Carl Rogan Memorial News Excellence Competition for an editorial on the history of racism in the Oklahoma legislature. The teacher pay raise bill will take effect on Aug. 1, and will do so regardless of any referendum petition. How much of a salary increase should certified personnel receive? How is the pay raise funded? Also not included, is any of the money the state took in through various opioid settlements. That was the last survey taken by the organization prior to the first round of teacher pay increases. Moreover, many teachers worried about their own health, particularly as restrictions began to ease and students returned to classrooms. Kevin Stit. Oklahomacould reach the second-highest average in the region with$59,000, should the Legislature approve the $5,000 raise. Beth reports on education topics for StateImpact Oklahoma. Will the OSDE tell districts how much to spend on pay raises? 15. The Purdue Pharma settlement is still tied up in court, but Stitts budget does not allocate the funding from the Teva settlement, which has already been placed in state account to be used for opioid abatement. An additional salary increase averaging $1,220 passed in 2019 is not reflected here; funding for that raise was added to the funding formula, and the minimum salary schedule didnt change. The measure also passed the committee by a vote of 21-0. The expectation is for all LEAs, including those not receiving state appropriated dollars through the funding formula (commonly referred to as off the formula districts). Is the increase including or in addition to the step? Kevin Stitts State of the State speech Oklahoma teachers have been given raises over the last four years totalling more than $7,000. Despite a $1.3 billion budget shortfall and the near certainty of cuts to all Thats not my job. Pemberton's bill is assigned to the Senate Education Committee. Oklahoma lawmakers last approved teacher pay raises in 2018 and 2019, with an average increase of $6,100 and $1,220 respectively. Bordering states of Texas, Colorado and New Mexico pay more on average than Oklahoma, while Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas pay less, the state agency reported. The Senate Appropriations Committee also passed Senate Bill 522, again by Pugh, which would provide a $500 stipend to mentor teachers, regardless of how many people they mentor. Lawmakers are open to the idea of merit pay, Pugh said, but weve got to raise the floor of educator salaries. Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Pugh said he wanted to make sure that when a teacher has a baby, she does not have to make a choice to come back to the classroom before she is emotionally, mentally and physically ready to do so. Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session to give Oklahoma public school teachers and support staff a raise starting in the 2023-2024 school year. Teachers with 10 through 14 years' experience would receive a $5,000 raise. As such, the salary increase is effective July 1, 2019. We have to keep pace with the surrounding states, Hofmeister said. The appropriation is intended for increases in base salary for certified personnel. Senate Bill 28 would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently proposed boosting starting salaries for teachers in her state to $50,000. Oklahomas average starting pay of $38,074 is 13th lowest in the country, according to National Education Association. Republican Gov. And he said the dramatic increase in teacher pay since 2018 has done little or nothing to attract new people to the teaching profession. A $5,000 teacher pay raise proposal will advance to the state Legislature after passing a Thursday vote by the Oklahoma State Board of Education. The governor hopes to spark a discussion with legislators about how to spend those funds. It's why he le, "What you're doing is, you're bringing chaos to order," Stewart tells the lawmaker from Broken Arrow during a nine-minute segment about Dahm's, All gender-reassignment therapies would be banned, including hormones, puberty-blockers and surgery for minors, and private insurers would be , Gov. The drop in education employment resulting from the pandemic was the largest ever. New legislation enacted this year offers matching funds to raise the salaries of certain teachers who earn specific credentials and mentor other educators. would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. Outside candidates. The teacher pay boost would be Oklahomas first in three years, if lawmakers approve it. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, introduced a comprehensive education package last week that includes a bill allocating $241 million for teacher pay raises. The OSDEs cost estimate of $70,630,204 for twelve months includes the employer contribution to OTRS and FICA. But this week members of the Oklahoma Senate effectively admitted that plan has failed. , Education, Tax hikes, pay raises, fail to stem Oklahoma teacher shortage. Of those funds appropriated, the State Board of Education shall designate Fifty-eight Million Eight Hundred Fifty-eight Thousand Five Hundred Three Dollars ($58,858,503.00) for increased compensation for certified personnel as defined by Section 26-103 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The underpaid teacher report for FY 20 will be based on the existing Minimum Salary Schedule in 70 OS 18-114.14. StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahomas public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond.