This document is not intended to serve as legal advice, but is general in nature and reflects the questions OSDE has received as of June 24, 2019. Posted by SDEmedia on Mon, 06/24/2019 - 4:36pm. Oklahoma The requests will continue to the Legislature, which has the final say on state funding of education. The Legislature also boosted overall funding of public schools, allowing districts to use the extra funds for teacher compensation if they chose. The bill moves next to the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee. Eventually, I would like to see us at the national average in teacher pay, as well.. I think there are significant steps the state needs to intentionally and very publicly take to show teachers that were serious about the work that theyre doing, that we need them and want them in the classroom, Pugh said. "Our students deserve educators who arecompensated and respected as the professionals they are. The governor also proposes doubling the capacity of the states Rainy Day Fund so it can hold up to $2 billion. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 2023 Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs. There was a problem saving your notification. The raises would cost the state $310 billion and were supported by the Oklahoma Education Association. The intent is clear and the OSDE supports this expectation. When the salaries are adjusted for inflation, teachers are earning on average $2,179 less per year than they did a decade ago. "If we don't get this part right it gets progressively more difficult when students can't read at the later levels," Walters said. More:State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants teacher pay raises tied to student performance. Then cast your vote, Bill Haisten: A massive event NCAA wrestling in downtown Tulsa, Owasso teacher of the year Q&A: Kari Huff, Ram Academy, Drug dealing and federal prison now behind him, Tulsan earning praise for fatherhood support initiative, 2 hospitalized in Missouri crash involving General Lee car from Dukes of Hazzard, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Jim Inhofe looks back on his career: 'I really wanted to make a difference, and I did', State Sen. Nathan Dahm spars with Jon Stewart over Second Amendment, Oklahoma House passes gender-affirming treatment bill, Gov. Click or tap a column heading to re-order the table. 20. Six takeaways from Gov. I think the market is telling us that were short of teachers, and the market is telling us the teaching profession overall is not an attractive profession to step into, he said during the committee hearing. The committee also passed Senate Bill 364, also by Pugh, to provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to teachers. The measure would move the starting teacher pay to $39,601 from $36,601. If a district already pays the employee retirement contribution, the raise is expected to be in addition to that contribution. Outside candidates. The Senate committee unanimously passed another of Pughs bills that would grant 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to full-time public-school employees. The teacher pay boost would be Oklahomas first in three years, if lawmakers approve it. I know that the Legislature wants to see high outcomes for students, and certainly the Legislature understands that we have to make a priority with kids and their education, Hofmeister said after the state board in September agreed to pass her $5,000 raise request to lawmakers. Some House lawmakers were angry when Walters presented Hofmeister's budget request, not his own, in a hearing at the Capitol on Tuesday. 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 The state minimum salary was increased at all years of experience and degree levels by an average of $6,100. Stitt expresses 'strong disagreement' with Oklahoma AG over Catholic charter school, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, Oklahoma's new Teacher of the Year celebrates by gifting her tuition waiver to aspiring nurse, Meet the 2023 Ms. Inside/Ms. As stated above, the expectation is for certified personnel, as defined in 70 O.S. 12. Workers at colleges and universities had the next highest level (35%). OKLAHOMA CITY The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a teacher pay raise bill and other measures designed to keep educators in the classroom. What does it mean to give an average of $1,220? Kevin Stitts State of the State speech This probably isnt the year for an additional pay raise on top of what happened last year, Mazzei said. You have permission to edit this article. Lawmakers discussed the teacher-shortage issue this week while debating Senate Bill 267, by Pemberton, which extends existing incentives to lure retired teachers back to the classroom. Please subscribe to keep reading. Asked if Stitt would support a$5,000 teacher pay increase across the board, his spokesperson reflected on past initiatives. 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. 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. Senate Bill 28 would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. There are several reasons why a teacher might choose to leave the classroom, but the two most generally cited are burnout and inequitable earnings. The current fiscal year budget appropriated enough for average teacher pay raises of $1,220 and state employee pay raises up to $1,440. The measure passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 21-0. With the appropriation of $58,858,503 and an additional $74,790,265 in funds for operations through the funding formula, the OSDE believes districts will have sufficient funds to follow through with the intent of the Governor and Legislature. And officials expect the shortfall to grow significantly in the next few years. * Use the following credit line at the end of the story, with oklahomawatch.org hyperlinked online: Oklahoma Watch, atoklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state., by Oklahoma Watch, Oklahoma Watch August 5, 2019, This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. Are charter schools required to give a pay raise? * Include the Oklahoma Watch logo (found here). 1, but also incentivize them as they continue to grow," Walters said. We are seeing moms step out of the work force altogether, Pugh said. $50 million for technology improvements at state agencies. 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. Oklahoma weighs competing pay raise plans for teachers Oklahoma legislator files bills for teacher, support staff pay 10. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. Most state agency funding is kept flat under Stitt's budget proposal. The funding boost would account for the rising cost to operate a school and provide extra funds to raise pay for support staff, whose wages wouldnt increase fromthe teacher raise,Education Department officials said. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. A sweeping raise for all Oklahoma teachers' minimum pay unanimously advanced out of a Senate committee on Tuesday. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, introduced a comprehensive education package last week that includes a bill allocating $241 million for teacher pay raises. 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by a traditional public or public charter school. For support staff and paraprofessionals, its a little more complicated: would give districts $1,200 per support staff member. New Mexico is expected to surge to No. Despite recent legislative efforts to bolster salaries, a 2020-2021 pay analysis found that Oklahoma now ranks in the bottom half of states in teacher compensation, fourth in the region, 45th nationally in per-pupil expenditures, and dead last in what it pays support professionals. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. New legislation enacted this year offers matching funds to raise the salaries of certain teachers who earn specific credentials and mentor other educators. The teacher-shortage figure of 600 cited by Pemberton exceeds the shortages reported prior to the 2018 tax increases and pay raises. Oklahoma schools don't have enough support staff to meet needs, and their salaries are far too low averaging just $21,583 a year. I have worked for the Tulsa World since 1990. No later than February 1, 2020, the State Department of Education shall make this data available on its website for public viewing and shall submit a report to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The association is not backing the merit plan. There are 9,000 teachers that are currently eligible for retirement this year, said Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. Oklahoma lawmakers last approved teacher pay raises in 2018 and 2019, with an average increase of $6,100 and $1,220 respectively. However, the minimum salary schedule did not change, and the salary increase provided through HB 2765 and SB 1048 does not place them on the Minimum Salary Schedule. Pemberton's bill is assigned to the Senate Education Committee. The Senate Education Committee passed the bill from chairperson Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, without objection. Phone: 405-528-2465. Oklahoma teacher pay raise bill clears first legislative hurdle Oklahoma teachers and state employees will not receive pay raises next year under a budget proposal from Gov. Kevin Stitt's 2020 State of the State speech. Increased teacher salaries and greater school funding have also had little impact on educational outcomes. In Oklahoma, only 28.5 percent of 4th grade students read at grade level, according to NAEP. As such, the salary increase is effective July 1, 2019. Teacher Salaries by District - Oklahoma Watch After third grade, students without a strong grasp of reading are known to struggle to comprehend classwork. "Our students deserve educators who are compensated and respected as the professionals they are. 9. State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister announced earlier this week she would include the raise in an annual budget request for the Oklahoma State Department of Education. 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by an off-the-formula district, a charter school, or otherwise. The proposed budget appropriates The request then goes to the Legislature where lawmakers during the 2023 session will make the final decision on each state agencys allocation. Donateonline. The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a proposal from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to base teacher pay raises on merit. Did the state minimum salary schedule change in the 2019 Legislative Session? The proposal would move starting teacher pay to $40,000 annually with a $3,000 pay increase through the next four years, and incremental pay raises after that. In addition, Senate Bill 1048 is the budget limits bill for the State Board of Education. 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). Search by district or county. 17. There is hereby appropriated to the State Board of Education from any monies not otherwise appropriated from the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, the sum of One Billion Four Hundred Seventy-eight Million One Hundred Five Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($1,478,105,700.00) or so much thereof as may be necessary for the financial support of public schools. This language is clear in mandating a raise in salary as a part of the base salary and not a one-time bonus or stipend. StateImpact Oklahoma isa collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU. That was the last survey taken by the organization prior to the first round of teacher pay increases. SB 482 would reset the starting minimum at $39,601. SB 1048 requires school districts to report the amount of increase in compensation each teacher received by December 31, 2019, and requires the OSDE to make this data available on its website and in a report to the Pro Tempore of the Senate and Speaker of the House by February 1, 2020. Pemberton said he hopes measures passed last year like the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Initiative Program combined with more legislative efforts this year will start attracting new teachers and retaining current teachers.