oklahoma teacher pay raise 2020
He toldThe Center Squarehe hoped the pay raises would alleviate the state's teacher shortage. Please follow these terms for republication: * Reporters bylines and photographers credit lines should be accompanied by Oklahoma Watch.. 9. And he said the dramatic increase in teacher pay since 2018 has done little or nothing to attract new people to the teaching profession. Should the Legislature agree to the increase, Oklahomas average teacher pay would rise to $59,000. One unfortunate result has been that teachers are leaving the profession in droves. 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. Can a district include retirement payments for employees as part of the raise calculation? Donateonline. , Education, Tax hikes, pay raises, fail to stem Oklahoma teacher shortage. Will the OSDE tell districts how much to spend on pay raises? This work is essential to a better-informed community and a healthy democracy. 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. 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. Click here to donate online to support our journalism. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a particularly grueling time for teachers. If Pembertons bills pass, he said it wouldnt prohibit the legislature from implementing more raises in the future. Kevin Stit. We are hurting for people., Director, Center for Independent Journalism. The proposed budget appropriates Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. Most state agency funding is kept flat under Stitt's budget proposal. 16. The vast majority of those funds would pass through the agency to public schools. Read the reports and hear the stories onNPR member stations. would give teachers $6,000 over 9 years, divided into three $2,000 raises. 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. After third grade, students without a strong grasp of reading are known to struggle to comprehend classwork. The Oklahoma Education Association, the state affiliate of the National Education Association and the states largest teachers union, has steadfastly opposed full reopening of schools and also opposes renewal of state testing that would measure students academic outcomes over the last two years. "We have to keep these teachers.". 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. Oklahoma Budget FY 2020 Highlights SAVINGS $200 million in Oklahomas savings account, putting Oklahoma on the path to storing two months of expenses, more More than 42,500 teachers worked in Oklahoma public schools last year. SB 482 would reset the starting minimum at $39,601. Kevin Stitt, Joy Hofmeister speak after primary election wins. 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. The states share of Medicaid expansion, which would be between $100 million and $150 million does not need to be appropriated next year, Mazzei said. There are 9,000 teachers that are currently eligible for retirement this year, said Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. "How bad do things have to get for us to use the money that weve got in the savings account for the needs of the people of Oklahoma?" The minimum for a first-year teacher with a 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. While HB 1010xx gave support professionals a $1,250 pay raise, it was well short of the $5,000 they asked for. 26-103, are to receive a salary increase in the 2019-2020 school year. 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. 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. The raises would cost the state $310 billion and were supported by the Oklahoma Education Association. Its also the fourth lowest in the region. The state's largest teachers union, the Oklahoma Education Association, said educator salaries should be competitive with the rest of the region. Most of Oklahoma Watchs content is available for republication by other news media in print and digital form. Oklahomas average starting pay of $38,074 is 13th lowest in the country, according to National Education Association. No. In addition, all charter schools receive state-appropriated dollars through the funding formula. Pemberton said its up to the legislature to catch Oklahoma up. $10 million for the Digital Transformation Fund. Are there different reporting deadlines for this pay raise outside of already established personnel reports? Teachers with 10 through 14 years' experience would receive a $5,000 raise. Phone: 405-528-2465. 10. 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. 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. By: David Blatt. Six takeaways from Gov. From his first year in office when he worked with the Legislature to deliver a $1,200payraise, to this years proposal topaythose in the classroom six figure salaries, GovernorStitthas been a tireless advocate for getting Oklahomateachers to be the highest paid in the region and looks forward to continuing that effort with the next state superintendent, Kate Vesper wrote in a statement to The Oklahoman. $2 million for Lt. Gov. We need to put more money into the (education funding) formula. How will districts be held accountable for giving the pay raise? 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. Early budget projections showed the state is likely to have a flat budget next year. The nearly $8.1 billion spending plan does not include an additional $163 million in one-time spending. Oklahoma must address its teacher shortage and compete with surrounding states that also are mulling pay increases, Pugh said. It expressly states: SECTION 1. The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a proposal from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters to base teacher pay raises on merit. $4.9 million for the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority for physician recruitment and equipment needs. How much of a salary increase should certified personnel receive? The request then goes to the Legislature where lawmakers during the 2023 session will make the final decision on each state agencys allocation. 13. How will OSDE calculate underpaid teachers in FY 20? In addition, Senate Bill 1048 is the budget limits bill for the State Board of Education. This budget request is Hofmeisters last as state superintendent. And I think education, our young people and our teachers need to be a priority.. Debate in opposition to the bill centered on concerns that it could negatively impact the teachers retirement system. The bill moves next to the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee. Only five states had a lower share of students scoring proficient in 8th grade math than Oklahoma. 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. 2023 Oklahoma Council Of Public Affairs. Stitt asks lawmakers for $100 million to fund education during ongoing gaming dispute 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. More:State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants teacher pay raises tied to student performance. Can this be paid as a stipend/bonus? Oklahoma teachers earn an average of $54,000 a year, which ranks fourth among all bordering states. The Center for American Progress reported some startling numbers the year before the coronavirus pandemica more than 50% drop in teacher education in nine states. He has two decades of experience in journalism and communications. It also found that more than three-quarters had increased their teaching and nonteaching staff to levels exceeding those before the pandemic. Charter schools are not required to follow the minimum salary schedule. However, it is not known exactly what jobs were lost and how many of those were teachers. Surrounding states start teachers off at higher wages. Lawmakers are also introducing bills that would give teachers pay raises. Hofmeister is the Democratic nominee for governor and the top challenger to Stitt, a Republican, in the Nov. 8 general election. The plan differs from one approved by the State Board of Education in September when it voted to asklawmakers for a $5,000 raise for state teachers. The budget proposal does not include any funding for the governors proposed Medicaid expansion plan, SoonerCare 2.0. I have worked for the Tulsa World since 1990. The appropriated amount covers ten months of that estimate. This probably isnt the year for an additional pay raise on top of what happened last year, Mazzei said. 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.) Previous pay raisesfor all educatorshave proven to increase qualitycandidates tothe profession.". Support Nurias work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. Whats not in the governors budget proposal. In SB 1048, the OSDE is required to make a report of pay raises given in 2019-2020. Average salary is based on full-time equivalent teaching positions, which includes full- and part-time teachers. The cost for a $1,200 pay raise for twelve months is $70,630,204. 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. We had over 600 teaching positions we couldnt fill this last year, and with the possibility of retirements this year after the three-year teacher high on the new teacher pay raises, we could see a lot higher retirements, so were going to have trouble filling, said Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee. Pemberton's bill is assigned to the Senate Education Committee. The Edmond senator has suggested the state spend $241 million on his pay-raise plan and another $300 million on further education reforms. More:Oklahoman finalist for National Teacher of the Year says cooperation is key to future. Thats not my job. All opponents were Republicans while those in favor consisted of the remaining Republicans and all Democrats. Yes. A high estimate of the cost to the state would be $25 million, he said. Kevin Stitt will face Democrat Joy Hofmeister in the November general election for Oklahoma governor. 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. Some House lawmakers were angry when Walters presented Hofmeister's budget request, not his own, in a hearing at the Capitol on Tuesday. When considering pay raise amounts, districts are encouraged to ensure that the average across all certified staff members equals a $1,220 increase. A chronic teacher shortage persists in Oklahoma. A districts salary averages are affected by both its salary policies and the experience level of its teachers. Giving Oklahomas teachers a pay raise has been proclaimed as one of the highest priorities of legislators and Averages in the searchable table below are based on 2017-18 data and minimum salaries are for 2018-19. Gov. The state Board of Education on Thursday approved an overall budget request of $3.51 billion for the state Education Department, lower than Hofmeister's ask of $3.57 billion. Stitts budget proposes funding $25.3 million in gubernatorial priorities. 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. 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. Teachers with a 15-year career or longer could see raises of $6,000. As such, the expectation for charter schools with certified personnel remains the same as for all districts. The leader of the Oklahoma Senate's Education Committee, Oklahoma teachers have been given raises over the last four years totalling more than $7,000. The 2023 legislative session begins Feb. 6. Search by district or county. 6. 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. New Mexico is expected to surge to No. * An interlocal cooperative, or ILC, is an educational service organization than handles duties for a group of school districts or counties. Pemberton said he hopes measures passed last year like the, Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Initiative Program. Outside candidates. For support staff and paraprofessionals, its a little more complicated: Senate Bill 25 would give districts $1,200 per support staff member. Charter schools like this one are slated to reap the biggest benefits from a recent State Board of Education action to equalize funding between charter and traditional public schools. 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. The same expectation applies to districts that receive only the salary incentive aid and not foundation aid. 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. I want to see the numbers, said Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, chairperson of the House budget committee on education. State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants teacher pay raises tied to student performance, Oklahoman finalist for National Teacher of the Year says cooperation is key to future, said Oklahoma should offer incentive-based raises, suggested the state spend $241 million on his pay-raise plan, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Legislative Democrats indicated they intend to fight against putting away more money in state savings accounts. New legislation enacted this year offers matching funds to raise the salaries of certain teachers who earn specific credentials and mentor other educators. If Pembertons bills pass, he said it wouldnt prohibit the legislature from implementing more raises in the future. Oklahoma teachers earn an average of $54,000 similar to the regional average of $53,600 but below the national average of $64,000, according to the state Department of Education. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Oklahoma Watch and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from Oklahoma Watch. Oklahoma starts its minimum salary scale at $36,601 for first-year educators. COVID appears to have increased the stress of an already stressful job. 12. Oklahoma legislator files bills for teacher, support staff pay 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. 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. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. StateImpact Oklahoma isa collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU. Asked if Stitt would support a$5,000 teacher pay increase across the board, his spokesperson reflected on past initiatives. The $8.3 billion fiscal year 2020 budget is the largest in state history and includes about $500 million in new state spending. Gov. 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. SB 1048 appropriates $58,858,503 to be used for the purpose of providing an increase in compensation for certified personnel. This funding comes from the total amount appropriated to the financial support of public schools from the General Revenue Fund in the General Appropriations Bill, HB 2765. 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. 1 in the region this year. As a result, the funding for increases will be distributed through the formula. Arkansas Gov. Giving Oklahomas teachers a pay raise has been proclaimed as one of the highest priorities of legislators and Governor Mary Fallin this session. 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. Effects on the number of teachers employed soon reflected the decline in teaching degrees awarded. "We believe that we have to find ways to find teachers who are doing a great job, No. A 2% adjustment could be doable, he said. Lawmakers approved an average teacher pay raise of $6,100 in 2018 and added another $1,200 in 2019. Flat wages, heavy workloads, and the politicization of schools have been cited as some of the biggest influences behind these decreases. Minimums and averages include benefits such as retirement plans and health, dental, vision and life insurance. State education officials said in a news release that it will require about $310 million to fully fund the teacher pay raise for Oklahoma's 52,850 As such, the salary increase is effective July 1, 2019. Ray Carter is the director of OCPAs Center for Independent Journalism. Does the amount appropriated include district obligations? 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. "We had 3,338 emergency certifications last year," he said. Lawmakers are open to the idea of merit pay, Pugh said, but weve got to raise the floor of educator salaries. Republican Gov. Section 1 of HB 2765 and all of SB 1048 are effective July 1, 2019. SB 1048 identifies certified personnel as defined by 70 O.S. 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. 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. The teacher-shortage figure of 600 cited by Pemberton exceeds the shortages reported prior to the 2018 tax increases and pay raises. A sweeping raise for all Oklahoma teachers' minimum pay unanimously advanced out of a Senate committee on Tuesday. (Emphasis added). Part of the increase, should lawmakers give the OK, would include a $100 million investment in kindergarten through third-grade literacy. The measure would move the starting teacher pay to$39,601 from $36,601. When SB 267 was discussed and debated on the Senate floor, Pemberton, a former school administrator, warned, Theres any number of jobs that we have a real issue hiring right now.. 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. neighboring states. By December 31, 2019, school districts shall report to the State Department of Education the amount of increase in compensation each teacher received as a result of these funds. 26-103 as the target of the appropriated funds for pay increases. The Quality Counts report also showed that only six states have a lower share of 18-to-24-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education than the 48.7 percent enrolled in Oklahoma. 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. The plan could cost $150 million. She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. 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. SoonerCare 2.0, financially, doesnt need to be addressed in the FY 21 budget, he said. 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. Pugh said the cost of the measure would be $250 million. The measure passed the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 21-0. There is no language in either bill requiring pay raises to begin September 1. When the salaries are adjusted for inflation, teachers are earning on average $2,179 less per year than they did a decade ago. The earliest SoonerCare 2.0 could take effect would be in fiscal year 2022 because it will take time for the state to apply for the federal waiver and prepare for the expansion, he said. Oklahoma schools don't have enough support staff to meet needs, and their salaries are far too low averaging just $21,583 a year. 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. 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. | MORE | Hofmeister says Oklahoma teachers should get $5,000 pay raise to stay competitive. 26-103, to receive the salary increase, regardless of whether employed by an off-the-formula district, a charter school, or otherwise. By: Alex Cameron. Fish, Oklahoman, Oklahoma Supreme Court rules school districts, not governor, should decide mask mandates, Superintendent election a 'battle' for future of Oklahoma public education, some teachers to be paid $100,000 or more, Epic Charter School changing how it takes attendance after state investigation, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. * Include the Oklahoma Watch logo (found here). 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. Workers at colleges and universities had the next highest level (35%). 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). 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. In a press conference before the start of the Legislative Session, he estimated the maternity leave measure to cost $25 million. Both SB 1048 and HB 2765 have an effective date of July 1, 2019. 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 Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. February 18, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019. There is no language in either bill requiring pay raises to begin September 1. The state minimum salary was increased at all years of experience and degree levels by an average of $6,100. The state board approves the Education Departments budget ask every year. We can't find teachers, especially in the math and science areas.". {{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. But even then. The state passed a $10,000 salaryincrease that is estimated to reset its average teacher pay at $64,000. Mazzei said the governor is hoping to tackle broad tax code changes next year so he plans to shy away from approving new tax credits this year. Every day we strive to produce journalism that matters stories that strengthen accountability and transparency, provide value and resonate with readers like you. Budget & Tax First through fourth-year teachers would see $3,000 raises. Kevin Stitt's 2020 State of the State speech. Beth reports on education topics for StateImpact Oklahoma. What does it mean to give an average of $1,220? Were trying everything we can to get young people back involved and keep older teachers in the system.. 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. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently proposed boosting starting salaries for teachers in her state to $50,000. But this week members of the Oklahoma Senate effectively 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. The state has too many needs that have been unmet, Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd said. 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. Despite a $1.3 billion budget shortfall and the near certainty of cuts to all