The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a particularly grueling time for teachers. The measure would move the starting teacher pay to $39,601 from $36,601. $2 million for Lt. Gov. 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. Oklahoma teachers have been given raises over the last four years totalling more than $7,000. Summer months tend to be a time for reflectionthe school year has come to a close and the accumulation of the academic year's trials and stresses can be looked at more objectivelythus it is a period that sees teachers leaving the profession. 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. Because teacher retirement benefits are tied to the last three years of income, one impact of the teacher pay raises was to temporarily slow the pace of retirements while educators racked up credit for newly increased salaries. No. Walters called the $100 million proposal the "most comprehensive reading plan in the country," though the specifics of each initiative within it are still hazy. Oklahoma teachers received a raise in pay in 2018, which is reflected in the table below. More than four in 10 responded that they "always" or "very often" felt burned out at work. The state has too many needs that have been unmet, Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd said. Employer Reporting: Direct Line: 405-522-3130 Email: helpdesk@trs.ok.gov would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. The committee also passed Senate Bill 364, also by Pugh, to provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to teachers. As a result, the funding for increases will be distributed through the formula. Most of Oklahoma Watchs content is available for republication by other news media in print and digital form. In order to meet these deadlines in a timely fashion, OSDE will calculate the amount of raise for each teacher based on the October 1 personnel reporting period and subsequently provide this information as required. SoonerCare 2.0, financially, doesnt need to be addressed in the FY 21 budget, he said. Did the state minimum salary schedule change in the 2019 Legislative Session? The governor also proposes doubling the capacity of the states Rainy Day Fund so it can hold up to $2 billion. 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. 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. But even then, Oklahomas again fallen behind neighboring states. Previous pay raises for all educators have proven to increase quality candidates to the profession.". Stitts education secretary, Republican Ryan Walters, and the 2020 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, Democrat Jena Nelson, are running to succeed Hofmeister as the states top education official. 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. Oklahoma legislator files bills for teacher, support staff pay No. 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 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. New teachers in Texas start at $44,527. Kevin Stitts State of the State speech The proposed budget appropriates This probably isnt the year for an additional pay raise on top of what happened last year, Mazzei said. As a result, the amount appropriated provides enough funding to give a raise of $1,220 rather than $1,200 over twelve months. The $3.51 billion request would increase state education funding by about $330 million over current levels. The $8.3 billion fiscal year 2020 budget is the largest in state history and includes about $500 million in new state spending. $4.9 million for the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority for physician recruitment and equipment needs. By: Alex Cameron. We are hurting for people., Director, Center for Independent Journalism. With teacher shortages affecting schools nationwide, educators share how pay, parents, politics and the pandemic have led some to leave the profession. combined with more legislative efforts this year will start attracting new teachers and retaining current teachers. The association is not backing the merit plan. 8. A high estimate of the cost to the state would be $25 million, he said. 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. There are several reasons why a teacher might choose to leave the classroom, but the two most generally cited are burnout and inequitable earnings. 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. 9 Investigates: Oklahoma Still Losing Teachers Despite Pay Raises. 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. The budget proposal includes $11 million to annualize the teacher pay raises appropriated this year. Most state agency funding is kept flat under Stitt's budget proposal. The poor educational quality of Oklahomas K-12 education has ripple effects that extend into other areas. 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 In the wake of a statewide teacher walkout, the Legislature raised teacher salaries by $6,100in 2018 and by $1,200 in 2019. The same expectation applies to districts that receive only the salary incentive aid and not foundation aid. In fact, in many ways Oklahoma schools are flush with more cash than at any time in recent memory. The budget proposal does not include any funding for the governors proposed Medicaid expansion plan, SoonerCare 2.0. And I think education, our young people and our teachers need to be a priority.. Tucked within that decline were even deeper reductions in degrees conferred in specialty subjects such as science, mathematics, and foreign languages. We have to keep pace with the surrounding states, Hofmeister said. New Mexico is expected to surge to No. The National Education Association published figures in April 2022 showing the average teacher salary to be $66,397 for the 2021-2022 school year. 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Joshua Bleiberg, one of the paper's authors and a postdoctoral researcher studying school reform, told Vox, "There are so many different measures of teacher shortages, and there's no national standardized definition of what a teacher shortage is.". Of the funds appropriated in Section 1 of Enrolled House Bill 2765 of the 1st Session of the 57th Oklahoma Legislature, Fifty-eight Million Eight Hundred Fifty-eight Thousand Five Hundred Three Dollars ($58,858,503.00) shall be used for the purpose of providing an increase in compensation for certified personnel as defined by Section 26-103 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 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. "If we don't get this part right it gets progressively more difficult when students can't read at the later levels," Walters said. Senate Bill 482, if passed, would prompt the state's first wage increase in four years for Oklahoma teachers. 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. 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. Have a story idea for Nuria? Previous pay raisesfor all educatorshave proven to increase qualitycandidates tothe profession.". Weve slipped to number four in the region, so that means Texas and Colorado and New Mexico and a lot of these states are paying more and are drawing our teachers out of the state, Pemberton said. We already have a teacher shortage, now the pipeline is almost empty. Board members voted unanimously and agreed that more needs to be done for teachers. There is no language in either bill requiring pay raises to begin September 1. Are any districts exempt from giving a pay raise? Educators working five to nine years in the classroom would see their minimum pay increase by $4,000, and base pay would jump by $5,000 for teachers with 10 to 14 years of tenure. Ray Carter is the director of OCPAs Center for Independent Journalism. That bill is also assigned to the Senate Education Committee. ** Charter schools are exempt from minimum salary requirements. 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. 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. Asked if Stitt would support a$5,000 teacher pay increase across the board, his spokesperson reflected on past initiatives. Budget & Tax Kevin Stit. 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. Are charter schools required to give a pay raise? {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images, In a van outside OUs Lloyd Noble Center, Doc Sadler lives out another season in 45 years of coaching, Broken Arrow's Tanner Charles making debut on 'American Idol', Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, 'Reservation Dogs' open casting event seeks Indigenous people, Tulsa City Council passes welcoming-city resolution without emphasis on LGBTQ residents, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, Gov. The new state superintendent will present his budget request to House and Senate lawmakers in the following weeks. February 18, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019. Kevin Stitt's 2020 State of the State speech. The Senate Education Committee passed the bill from chairperson Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, without objection. 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. NAEP results showed just 25.5 percent of Oklahoma 8th grade students were performing at grade level or better in that subject. As such, the expectation for charter schools with certified personnel remains the same as for all districts. Student achievement on state tests was lower in 2019 than in 2017. The cost for a $1,200 pay raise for twelve months is $70,630,204. Of further concern is the fact that there have simply not been enough new teachers to take their places. In 2018, state lawmakers approved some of the largest tax increases in Oklahoma history, arguing a larger tax burden was required to increase teacher salaries, which politicians claimed were necessary to reduce teacher shortages. 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. But even then, Oklahomas again fallen behind neighboring states. 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. This work is essential to a better-informed community and a healthy democracy. I have covered the Oklahoma Legislature since 1994. Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, a retired educator, introduced a bill in December that would give teachers a $2,000 annual raise for the 2023-2024, 2026-2027 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. Yes. As a reporter for The Journal Record, Carter received 12 Carl Rogan Awards in four yearsincluding awards for investigative reporting, general news reporting, feature writing, spot news reporting, business reporting, and sports reporting. A 2% adjustment could be doable, he said. We figured the amount that (the $5,000 raise)would cost and made that ask in addition, she said Thursday. All opponents were Republicans while those in favor consisted of the remaining Republicans and all Democrats. For support staff and paraprofessionals, its a little more complicated: would give districts $1,200 per support staff member. The nearly $8.1 billion spending plan does not include an additional $163 million in one-time spending. Its also the fourth lowest in the region. 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. The request also includes a $66 million increase to the education funding formula, the chief source of public school funds. 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. I want to see the numbers, said Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, chairperson of the House budget committee on education. The number of students enrolling in teacher preparation programs fell by 80% at Oklahomas colleges and universities, showing a dramatic decline in interest to enter the teaching profession, according to a 2020 report from the Center for Education Progress. In the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, most states saw moderate to more significant drops in students seeking teaching degrees. The Oklahoma State Department of Education will include a $5,000 teacher pay raise in its annual budget request during the state board of education's upcoming Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. Lawmakers acknowledged that the teacher shortage in Oklahoma was larger this year than it was prior to the tax increases and pay raises, and that the teacher shortage is expected to grow even larger next year. Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. Then cast your vote, Meet the 2023 Mr. Inside/Mr. We already have a teacher shortage, now the pipeline is almost empty. A survey by the RAND Corporation discovered that 90% of school districts had changed operations in one or more schools during the 20212022 school year because of teacher shortages.