Among public school teachers who stopped teaching after March 2020 but before they were scheduled to retire, almost half did so because of the pandemic. Despite a $1.3 billion budget shortfall and the near certainty of cuts to all A majority of the school districts in the state do not pay over the minimum salary schedule, he said. The raise is I have covered the Oklahoma Legislature since 1994. Oklahomas average starting pay of $38,074 is 13th lowest in the country, according to National Education Association. The state has too many needs that have been unmet, Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd said. 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. But Stitts budget guru hinted that offering retirees a 4% cost-of-living adjustment at a cost of $1 billion could be more generous than the state can afford next year. More:State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants teacher pay raises tied to student performance. Asked if Stitt would support a$5,000 teacher pay increase across the board, his spokesperson reflected on past initiatives. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Voters would have to approve raising the cap from 15% of certified collections to 30% through a state question. Arkansas Gov. The $8.3 billion fiscal year 2020 budget is the largest in state history and includes about $500 million in new state spending. A Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that as of last November, resignations in educational work including teachers grew faster than in any other industry. 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. 6. Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Were trying everything we can to get young people back involved and keep older teachers in the system.. 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. 18. New Mexico is expected to surge to No. In the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, most states saw moderate to more significant drops in students seeking teaching degrees. The raise is estimated to cost $310 million with the price of insurance and retirement benefits included. No. Should the Legislature agree to the increase, Oklahomas average teacher pay would rise to $59,000. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. Moreover, many teachers worried about their own health, particularly as restrictions began to ease and students returned to classrooms. 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. Gov. 8. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. 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. $2 million for Lt. Gov. Tucked within that decline were even deeper reductions in degrees conferred in specialty subjects such as science, mathematics, and foreign languages. The Governor and Legislature stated that teachers in districts not receiving state appropriations through the funding formula were not included in the cost estimate calculations. 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. Hopefully (the next meeting is about) numbers because I am not a policy guy. He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications. 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. How is the pay raise funded? But now educators are poised to leave the workforce, having reached their maximum retirement benefit. 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. 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 underpaid teacher report for FY 20 will be based on the existing Minimum Salary Schedule in 70 OS 18-114.14. Employer Reporting: Direct Line: 405-522-3130 Email: helpdesk@trs.ok.gov Oklahoma starts its minimum salary scale at $36,601 for first-year educators. Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a particularly grueling time for teachers. 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 Please subscribe to keep reading. The state last increased minimum teacher pay in 2019 with a $1,200 raise, added on top of the $6,100 boost approved in 2018. 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.. 16. An Oklahoma lawmaker is pushing for a teacher pay raise to combat the states teacher shortage. neighboring states. More than four in 10 responded that they "always" or "very often" felt burned out at work. combined with more legislative efforts this year will start attracting new teachers and retaining current teachers. Did the state minimum salary schedule change in the 2019 Legislative Session? 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. 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. 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. SB 1048 plainly states that, [t]he salary increase provided for in this section shall be in addition to, and not as a replacement for, the step increase indicated for the certified employee pursuant to the State Minimum Salary Schedule. (Emphasis added.) SB 1048 identifies certified personnel as defined by 70 O.S. House Bill 2765 and Senate Bill 1048, enacted and signed into law during the 2019 legislative session, establish requirements and opportunities for Oklahoma public schools (LEAs) to prepare for and disseminate annual salary increases to the certified personnel they employ. SB 482 would reset the starting minimum at $39,601. Some or all of those funds could be combined with other funding sources to provide state retirees a cost-of-living adjustment a top priority for state legislators, Mazzei said. With teacher shortages affecting schools nationwide, educators share how pay, parents, politics and the pandemic have led some to leave the profession. I want to see the numbers, said Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, chairperson of the House budget committee on education. There are several reasons why a teacher might choose to leave the classroom, but the two most generally cited are burnout and inequitable earnings. Have a story idea for Nuria? 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. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The request also includes a $66 million increase to the education funding formula, the chief source of public school funds. Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Initiative Program, $2.8 billion in revenue savings collections, A look at approaches to address violent crime, The U.S. is playing catch-up in the EV battery market, says Biden energy adviser, Walgreens won't sell abortion pills in red states that threatened legal action, How this year's Selma Bridge Crossing could mark a community renaissance. He toldThe Center Squarehe hoped the pay raises would alleviate the state's teacher shortage. 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by a traditional public or public charter school. Six takeaways from Gov. A 2% adjustment could be doable, he said. Secretary of State Michael Rogers, who also doubles as Stitts education secretary, said the average teacher pay raise this year was $1,781 when the state funding was combined with contributions from local school districts. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. (Emphasis added). 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. SoonerCare 2.0, financially, doesnt need to be addressed in the FY 21 budget, he said. Were trying everything we can to get young people back involved and keep older teachers in the system.. 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. Does the amount appropriated include district obligations? More:Epic Charter School changing how it takes attendance after state investigation. A Gallup poll released in June 2022 found that workers in K-12 schools reported the highest rates of burnout of any field in the country. Debate in opposition to the bill centered on concerns that it could negatively impact the teachers retirement system. The same expectation applies to districts that receive only the salary incentive aid and not foundation aid. Teachers in the public schools of Oklahoma shall receive in salary and/or fringe benefits not less than the amount specified in the following schedule. What does it mean to give an average of $1,220? But even then, Oklahomas again fallen behind neighboring states. Previous pay raisesfor all educatorshave proven to increase qualitycandidates tothe profession.". 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. Increased teacher salaries and greater school funding have also had little impact on educational outcomes. Gov. Can a district include retirement payments for employees as part of the raise calculation? Most state agency funding is kept flat under Stitt's budget proposal. The state passed a $10,000 salaryincrease that is estimated to reset its average teacher pay at $64,000. The state last increased teacher wages by $6,100 in 2018 and by $1,200 in 2019. No. Pugh said the cost of the measure would be $250 million. Oklahoma teachers have been given raises over the last four years totalling more than $7,000. The new state superintendent will present his budget request to House and Senate lawmakers in the following weeks. There is no language in either bill requiring pay raises to begin September 1. The governor also proposes doubling the capacity of the states Rainy Day Fund so it can hold up to $2 billion. Search by district or county. 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 and 2029-2030 school years. 19. The request then goes to the Legislature where lawmakers during the 2023 session will make the final decision on each state agencys allocation. This is a year where weve just got to be fiscally prudent and careful and make sure we dont get into a position where we have to start cutting budgets next year because somewhere out there theres an economic downturn and we need to be ready for it, he said. In fact, the measures plainly state that the increases in salary are in addition to (i.e., separate and apart from) what may be reflected in the Minimum Salary Schedule. The budget proposal does not include any funding for the governors proposed Medicaid expansion plan, SoonerCare 2.0. Teachers with a 15-year career or longer could see raises of $6,000. 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. She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. 20. Only five states had a lower share of students scoring proficient in 8th grade math than Oklahoma. 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. Part of the increase, should lawmakers give the OK, would include a $100 million investment in kindergarten through third-grade literacy. 17. The drop in education employment resulting from the pandemic was the largest ever. Click or tap a column heading to re-order the table. 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. 2023 Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs. In Oklahoma, only 28.5 percent of 4th grade students read at grade level, according to NAEP. Of further concern is the fact that there have simply not been enough new teachers to take their places. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently proposed boosting starting salaries for teachers in her state to $50,000. At the end of the 2020 state budget year, Oklahoma school The governor hopes to spark a discussion with legislators about how to spend those funds. However, it is not known exactly what jobs were lost and how many of those were teachers. We can't find teachers, especially in the math and science areas.". Please reload the page and try again. Surrounding states start teachers off at higher wages. COVID appears to have increased the stress of an already stressful job. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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 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. Click or tap on a column hearing to re-order the table. Donateonline. Outside candidates. Oklahoma legislator files bills for teacher, support staff pay Six takeaways from Gov. 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. SB 1048 explicitly provides that $58,858,503 of what is appropriated to the financial support of public schools from the General Revenue Fund in the General Appropriations bill (HB 2765) shall be used for a salary increase, in addition to and not a replacement for the step increase provided in the state minimum salary schedule. The salary increase provided for in this section shall be in addition to, and not as a replacement for, the step increase indicated for the certified employee pursuant to the State Minimum Salary Schedule, as provided in Section 18-114.14 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. OKLAHOMA CITY The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday passed a teacher pay raise bill and other measures designed to keep educators in the classroom. As such, the salary increase is effective July 1, 2019. In that section of law, certified personnel is defined to mean a certified person employed on a full-time basis to serve as a teacher, principal, supervisor, administrator, counselor, librarian, or certified or registered nurse, but shall not mean a superintendent of a school district. The salary increase, like last years, will not include district superintendents. New legislation enacted this year offers matching funds to raise the salaries of certain teachers who earn specific credentials and mentor other educators. 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. 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. The OSDEs cost estimate of $70,630,204 for twelve months includes the employer contribution to OTRS and FICA. For support staff and paraprofessionals, its a little more complicated: Senate Bill 25 would give districts $1,200 per support staff member. $4.9 million for the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority for physician recruitment and equipment needs. Is the increase including or in addition to the step? There is no language in either bill requiring pay raises to begin September 1. 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. As stated above, the expectation is for certified personnel, as defined in 70 O.S. It expressly states: SECTION 1. The teacher pay boost would be Oklahomas first in three years, if lawmakers approve it. $50 million for technology improvements at state agencies. The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a proposal from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to base teacher pay raises on merit. The average Teacher salary in Oklahoma is $53,527 as of January 26, 2023, but the range typically falls between $44,760 and $65,259. Also not included, is any of the money the state took in through various opioid settlements. In the wake of a statewide teacher walkout, the Legislature raised teacher salaries by $6,100in 2018 and by $1,200 in 2019. Stitts budget proposes funding $25.3 million in gubernatorial priorities. She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Whats not in the governors budget proposal. By: Alex Cameron. The leader of the Oklahoma Senate's Education Committee, Charter schools are exempt from minimum salary requirements. The state minimum salary did not increase, and the language pertaining to the 2018-2019 pay raise that explicitly required the raise in addition to what the individual made in the prior year was not renewed. That means ensuring weve got the people and that investment in the (teacher) workforce.. Lawmakers are also introducing bills that would give teachers pay raises. The association is not backing the merit plan. It's a reporting project and collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU, with broadcasts heard on NPR Member stations. February 18, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019. He told The Center Square he hoped the pay raises would alleviate the state's teacher shortage. A sweeping raise for all Oklahoma teachers' minimum pay unanimously advanced out of a Senate committee on Tuesday. * Include the Oklahoma Watch logo (found here). An Oklahoma lawmaker is pushing for a teacher pay raise to combat the states teacher shortage. Kevin Stitt's 2020 State of the State speech. | MORE | Hofmeister says Oklahoma teachers should get $5,000 pay raise to stay competitive.