OKPOLICY.ORG
A couple of bills prefiled for the next legislative session by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee are thoughtful efforts to meet the challenge of Oklahoma’s critical teacher shortage. The lack of certified teachers is most urgent in areas such as math, science, special education, and English language learning.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, approximately 6,000 teaching positions open annually across Oklahoma, and over 4,000 emergency certified teachers are currently working in classrooms statewide without completing required teacher preparation programs.
Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee, prefiled Senate Bill 7 that would create an Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy within the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Committee Chair Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, prefiled SB 235 that would establish the Grow your Own Educator Program to be maintained by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.
SB 7 by Sen. Seifried provides tuition and fee assistance to students pursuing accredited teaching degrees in Oklahoma if they agree to teach a critical shortage subject as determined by the Oklahoma State Department of Education in an Oklahoma public school. The bill would set aside up to $10 million in a revolving fund to fund the program.
The assistance will cover tuition and mandatory fees for courses the student takes to earn a bachelor’s degree. Assistance would not be available for courses beyond bachelor’s degree requirements or taken more than five years after first enrolling in an Oklahoma state system institution. Assistance will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Upon receiving their degree, the student would be obligated to teach in an Oklahoma public school for the same number of academic years for which the student received tuition and mandatory fee assistance.
SB 235 by Sen. Pugh would leverage the efforts of local school districts and public school district foundations in Oklahoma that establish a program to provide tuition or loan repayment assistance to school district employees who pursue degrees from a teacher preparation program accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability leading to a standard teaching certificate.
The bill creates a “Grow Your Own Educator Revolving Fund” to provide matching fund grants to eligible school districts.
With today’s competition for talent in the workplace, it’s going to take an all-of-the-above approach to incentivize people who would be good teachers to enter the profession. These two creative ideas can be part of that larger picture if the two senators can get them passed and funded. It’s not complicated. You can’t have school without teachers. Thanks to Sen. Pugh and Sen. Seifried for their work.
