The drop in education employment resulting from the pandemic was the largest ever. I want to see the numbers, said Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, chairperson of the House budget committee on education. Asked if Stitt would support a$5,000 teacher pay increase across the board, his spokesperson reflected on past initiatives. "We had 3,338 emergency certifications last year," he said. 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. The request then goes to the Legislature where lawmakers during the 2023 session will make the final decision on each state agencys allocation. Will the OSDE tell districts how much to spend on pay raises? Legislative Democrats indicated they intend to fight against putting away more money in state savings accounts. Most of Oklahoma Watchs content is available for republication by other news media in print and digital form. 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. The same expectation applies to districts that receive only the salary incentive aid and not foundation aid. The vast majority of those funds would pass through the agency to public schools. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. What legislation requires salary increases for certified personnel?House Bill 2765 is the General Appropriations bill, and as it relates to salary increases for certified personnel in the public schools, it provides: SECTION 1. The measure also passed the committee unanimously.. The Oklahoma State Board of Education, with three new voting members sworn in, approved Walters' budget request on Thursday for the 2024 fiscal year. In addition, all charter schools receive state-appropriated dollars through the funding formula. The association is not backing the merit plan. This probably isnt the year for an additional pay raise on top of what happened last year, Mazzei said. Districts can decide if they want to give staff a one-time pay increase of $1,200 or a one-time increase in an amount based on performance or the need to retain staff. 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., You need to put your priorities out front, Pemberton said. Between 4,200 and 5,300 teachers left the classroom each year from the 2012-2013 school year to 2020-21, according to a 2021 report from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. 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. 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. Oklahoma legislator files bills for teacher, support staff pay 11. Kevin Stitts State of the State speech 19. Ray Carter is the director of OCPAs Center for Independent Journalism. One unfortunate result has been that teachers are leaving the profession in droves. Oklahoma Teacher Salary 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. 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. First through fourth-year teachers would see $3,000 raises. That bill is also assigned to the Senate Education Committee. Donateonline. You have permission to edit this article. Beth reports on education topics for StateImpact Oklahoma. A working paper from Brown University's Annenberg Institute released in March 2022 cautioned that limited data had "led to considerable uncertainty and conflicting reports about the nature of staffing challenges in schools." I cover politics, appellate courts, state agencies and the governor. (Emphasis added). She has won awards from both the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. 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. 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. The minimum for a first-year teacher with a bachelors degree is now $36,601, a $5,001 increase over the previous minimum salary, which was set at $31,600 in 2008. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a particularly grueling time for teachers. Kevin Stitt and the states top education official, Ryan Walters, said Oklahoma should offer incentive-based raises instead of an across-the-board increase for all teachers. A reminder: This raise is permanent and recurring, and State Law prohibits a teachers salary from being reduced from one year to the next. We need to pay teachers more.. In fact, in many ways Oklahoma schools are flush with more cash than at any time in recent memory. The measure also passed the committee by a vote of 21-0. Oklahoma starts its minimum salary scale at $36,601 for first-year educators. The plan could cost $150 million. * Include the Oklahoma Watch logo (found here). The Legislature also boosted overall funding of public schools, allowing districts to use the extra funds for teacher compensation if they chose. 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 For support staff and paraprofessionals, its a little more complicated: Senate Bill 25 would give districts $1,200 per support staff member. School Personnel Salary Information | Oklahoma State Kevin Stit. At the graduate level, 13% of institutions had a significant drop in enrollment in 2021. 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. Student achievement on state tests was lower in 2019 than in 2017. Oklahomacould reach the second-highest average in the region with$59,000, should the Legislature approve the $5,000 raise. The cost to the state would be $1.6 million, Pugh said. A majority of the school districts in the state do not pay over the minimum salary schedule, he said. 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. You have permission to edit this article. There is no language in either bill requiring pay raises to begin September 1. 2. The teacher pay raise bill will take effect on Aug. 1, and will do so regardless of any referendum petition. 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 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. The Edmond senator has suggested the state spend $241 million on his pay-raise plan and another $300 million on further education reforms. Oklahoma teachers earn an average of $54,000 a year, which ranks fourth among all bordering states. The state board requested a total budget of $3.57 billion for Fiscal Year 2024. Section 1 of HB 2765 and all of SB 1048 are effective July 1, 2019. Kevin Stitt on Thursday approved changes to a $698 million economic development incentive package in an effort to lure a mega-manufacture, The Legislature is working on adjustments to the state's LEAD Act to lure a company reported to be Volkswagen to bring thousands of jobs w. Eventually, I would like to see us at the national average in teacher pay, as well.. If a district already pays the employee retirement contribution, the raise is expected to be in addition to that contribution. With teacher shortages affecting schools nationwide, educators share how pay, parents, politics and the pandemic have led some to leave the profession. The budget proposal includes $11 million to annualize the teacher pay raises appropriated this year. Moreover, many teachers worried about their own health, particularly as restrictions began to ease and students returned to classrooms. Gov. She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. At the end of the 2020 state budget year, Oklahoma school Previous pay raises for all educators have proven to increase quality candidates to the profession.". Surrounding states start teachers off at higher wages. 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. Gov. The Education Departments budget request would remain the same no matter who wins in November, Hofmeister said, but the next superintendent could advocate for different policies. When Hofmeister was first elected in 2014, she askedthe Legislature to add a $5,000 teacher pay increase on top ofthe budget request from the prior superintendents administration. 16. In SB 1048, the OSDE is required to make a report of pay raises given in 2019-2020. SB 482 would reset the starting minimum at $39,601. An Oklahoma lawmaker is pushing for a teacher pay raise to combat the states teacher shortage. 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. The governor also proposes doubling the capacity of the states Rainy Day Fund so it can hold up to $2 billion. In the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, most states saw moderate to more significant drops in students seeking teaching degrees. 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 Thursdaysboard meeting. 9 Investigates: Oklahoma Still Losing Teachers Despite Pay Raises. Oklahoma Budget FY 2020 Highlights SAVINGS $200 million in Oklahomas savings account, putting Oklahoma on the path to storing two months of expenses, more How is the pay raise funded? Mike Mazzei, Stitts budget secretary, said the governors focus right now is to protect state finances so state employees can receive pay raises down the road. Giving Oklahomas teachers a pay raise has been proclaimed as one of the highest priorities of legislators and 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. It also found that more than three-quarters had increased their teaching and nonteaching staff to levels exceeding those before the pandemic. "We have to keep these teachers.". $4 million in appropriations and $1.5 million in reimbursements for the state to become Real ID compliant. However, the Governor and legislative leaders stated publicly that the amount appropriated The measure would move the starting teacher pay to $39,601 from $36,601. The minimum for a first-year teacher with a Please follow these terms for republication: * Reporters bylines and photographers credit lines should be accompanied by Oklahoma Watch.. 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. Have a story idea for Nuria? At 88, Inhofe says he intends to still be involved in politics but admits to still suffering the long-term effects of COVID-19. 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by an off-the-formula district, a charter school, or otherwise. You can search the table by county or district. As a result, the funding for increases will be distributed through the formula. The new superintendent nixed Hofmeister's proposed $5,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise, which would have cost nearly $310 million. Lawmakers are open to the idea of merit pay, Pugh said, but weve got to raise the floor of educator salaries. 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. NAEP results showed just 25.5 percent of Oklahoma 8th grade students were performing at grade level or better in that subject. 7. A districts salary averages are affected by both its salary policies and the experience level of its teachers. Instead, he suggested the state spend $150 million to offer incentive pay raises for teachers who are highly rated based on their students' performance, classroom practices and time spent in professional development, such as achieving National Board Certification. 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.". Pemberton said he hopes measures passed last year like the, Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Initiative Program. 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. Better pay is vital for Oklahomas dwindling teacher workforce, Hofmeister said. 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. 26-103 as the target of the appropriated funds for pay increases. Teachers with five through nine years' experience would receive a $4,000 raise. 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. Districts can decide if they want to give staff a one-time pay increase of $1,200 or a one-time increase in an amount based on performance or the need to retain staff. "The metrics used to determine merit-based pay are controversial and inequitable," OEA President Katherine Bishop said in a statement. The declines were 80% in Oklahoma, 67% in Michigan, 62% in Pennsylvania, 61% in Delaware, 60% in Illinois, 55% in Idaho, 54% in Indiana and New Mexico, and 51% in Rhode Island. Changes in enrollment is one causative behind this drop. It expressly states: SECTION 1. And I think education, our young people and our teachers need to be a priority.. 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. 8. 26-103, are to receive a salary increase in the 2019-2020 school year. would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. Teachers with a 15-year career or longer could see raises of $6,000. The measure, which the governor backed, would use excess lottery proceeds to pay for half of a teachers raise. He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications. 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. 6. An Oklahoma lawmaker is pushing for a teacher pay raise to combat the states teacher shortage. We can ascertain from the final result of the appropriation that the Legislature intended for districts to have flexibility on how raises are distributed to staff. The measure passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 21-0. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. 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). 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by a traditional public or public charter school. Oklahoma starts its minimum salary scale at $36,601 for first-year educators. 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. Increased teacher salaries and greater school funding have also had little impact on educational outcomes. Lawmakers approved an average teacher pay raise of $6,100 in 2018 and added another $1,200 in 2019. Were trying everything we can to get young people back involved and keep older teachers in the system.. 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