OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate passed a measure last week to give public schoolteachers a pay increase ranging from $3,000 to $6,000. The measure, written by Sen. Adam Pugh, a Republican from Edmond, passed on a 41-1 vote.
Pugh said the bill was a way for the state to remain competitive with other states.
“While our teachers and other school employees have some of the best benefits in the region, we must also reward these public servants by increasing their pay to keep pace with regional trends,” he said.
Though Pugh’s bill, Senate Bill 482, passed without questions or debate, it’s future remains cloudy in the House of Representatives. House Speaker Charles McCall said earlier this month that the House would not review any education bills from the Senate if the Senate tried to amend education legislation authored by House members.
McCall’s threat could derail Pugh’s measure.
Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat wasn’t enamored with McCall’s threat. Treat told members of the Capitol press corps that the Senate would not be bullied on legislation. Speaking during his weekly press conference Treat said the Senate had passed 44 education-related bills. He said he hoped those bills got a hearing in the House.
“I hope that they were serious about not killing good reforms,” he said.
Education has remained a hot topic at the Legislature this year. In addition to the calls for more restrictive policies on curriculum for grade school students and legislation that would ban some books from school libraries, lawmakers offered legislation that would dramatically change the state’s public school system.
Earlier this year, state Sen. Dwayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, called for major pay increases for both public schoolteachers and support staff. Pemberton filed legislation that would increase teacher pay by $6,000 – over a nine-year period.
“We’ve 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 in a media statement announcing the proposal. “We already have a teacher shortage, now the pipeline is almost empty. We’re trying everything we can to get young people back involved and keep older teachers in the system.”
Starting pay for a first-year teacher in Oklahoma remains law at $36,600, compared to other states such as Texas where beginning teachers make about $41,000. Several states including Texas, Colorado and Arkansas are reviewing legislation that would push a beginning teacher’s pay to the $50,000 range.
Records show that has 546 public schools and more than 52,000 certified school personnel.
In the House, McCall supported legislation that earmarks more than $500 million for public education and legislation to create a school choice tax credit. Those measures are being heard in the Senate.
Pugh, the author of the Senate’s pay increase bill, said his bill would increase the pay and other instructional staff. He said the measure is a response to the compensation marketplace.
“I’ve worked with thousands of teachers, administrators, and others over the past year to figure out the best ways to attract more people into this rewarding profession, as well as recognize the dedication of those who have made this their life’s career. Increasing pay is just one of many ways the Senate is working to accomplish these goals this session,” he said in a media statement. “Given that other states like Arkansas and Texas are raising teacher pay, it’s vital that we respond to the marketplace and improve compensation to keep and attract education’s finest.”