Education (Teachers)

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 7: Higher education; creating the Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy; providing eligibility. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 7 creates the Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy, which provides tuition and mandatory fee assistance for students pursuing bachelor's degrees in approved teacher preparation programs. To qualify, students must enroll in Oklahoma's public higher education system, agree to teach in a critical shortage subject area (identified annually by the State Department of Education), and commit to teach one school year for each academic year of assistance received. The program covers tuition/fees up to $10 million annually, prioritizes students who exhaust other financial aid first, and requires repayment if participants fail to teach in qualifying roles. This directly affects Oklahoma students in teacher preparation programs and public schools facing staffing shortages in identified critical subject areas.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition assistance for teacher training in shortage areas, directly funding educator recruitment to strengthen K-12 staffing and address critical shortages.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Teachers

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1087: Education; length of school year; extending amount of classroom instruction time; minimum salary schedule; adding years of experience to minimum salary amounts; effective date; emergency.

HB 1087 establishes a new minimum salary schedule for Oklahoma public school teachers based on years of experience and education level, directly affecting all certified teachers in the state's public schools. The bill sets specific annual salary amounts ranging from $39,601 for entry-level teachers with a Bachelor's degree to $65,319 for those with 35+ years of experience and a Doctorate. It clarifies that "fringe benefits" exclude certain retirement contributions and requires school districts to notify teachers if salary adjustments would fall below the minimum schedule. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year after being approved by the governor on May 30, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes minimum teacher salaries increasing pay based on experience/education, directly supporting educator compensation and funding.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases minimum teacher salaries from $39,601 to $65,319 based on experience/education, directly advancing compensation standards for public school educators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

signed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2766: General appropriations; various agencies, authorities, boards, bureaus, commission, funds and programs; effective date.

HB 2766 is the Oklahoma state budget bill for fiscal year 2026, allocating over $1.65 billion from the General Revenue Fund to support public schools. It directs specific funding for teacher salaries, textbooks, health benefits for staff, school administration, and the School Consolidation Assistance Fund, drawing from multiple sources including the Education Lottery Trust Fund and Mineral Leasing Fund. The bill was enacted without the Governor's signature on May 29, 2025, and directly affects all Oklahoma public schools and their students through these state-funded resources.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $1.65B from General Revenue Fund for public school funding including teacher salaries, textbooks, and health benefits, directly advancing essential education programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $1.65B for teacher salaries, textbooks, health benefits, and school consolidation fund from education-specific sources like Education Lottery Trust Fund.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds teacher salaries and health benefits for school staff, directly supporting labor-related employment standards within public education.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue State Budget Teachers

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1363: Schools; establishing a minimum salary schedule for teachers; providing for certain additional compensation; directing funding to be provided to certain schools subject to availability. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1363 establishes a new minimum salary schedule for Oklahoma public school teachers starting in the 2026-2027 school year, setting base pay based on years of experience and education level (e.g., $43,000 for a bachelor’s degree with 0 experience). It adds a 5% bonus for teachers in hard-to-fill positions (defined as schools with 15%+ vacancies or critical shortage subjects like math/science) and provides $1,500 after the first year and $1,000 after the second year for teachers in STEM, bilingual education, or special education. The bill also offers a $1,000 stipend plus 3% additional pay for teachers earning extra endorsements like English as a second language. These changes directly affect all certified Oklahoma public school teachers and require annual reporting on hard-to-fill positions by the State Department of Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes minimum teacher salaries, adds bonuses for hard-to-fill roles/STEM, and provides incremental raises - directly increasing educator compensation and retention.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Special Education Teachers

Track

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 346: School personnel; requiring certain affidavit from previously employed full-time teacher to include certain attestation. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 346 modifies Oklahoma's school employee background check rules for teachers moving between districts. It allows full-time teachers applying to new districts to skip a new criminal history check if they provide a copy of a check done within the last five years and a letter from their previous district. This letter must specifically state whether allegations of inappropriate behavior between the teacher and a student were raised or if an investigation was pending. The bill also includes similar exceptions for substitute teachers moving between positions within the same or different districts under specific conditions. The policy aims to reduce redundant background checks for educators with stable employment records.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires disclosure of past allegations to protect student safety during teacher transfers, enhancing school personnel safety protocols.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 1983: Schools; media literacy and cybersecurity to be taught in sixth, seventh, or eighth grades; State Department of Education to adopt curriculum standards; effective date.

HB 1983 requires Oklahoma public schools to teach media literacy and cybersecurity to students in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade starting in the 2027-2028 school year. It mandates a half-unit course covering specific topics like identifying online scams, fake news, deepfakes, password security, and protecting personal information. The State Department of Education must develop curriculum standards, guidelines, teacher training, and accessible resources to support this instruction, including accommodations for English learners and students with disabilities. The bill becomes effective November 1, 2025, with implementation beginning for incoming sixth graders in 2027.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates media literacy/cybersecurity curriculum in grades 6-8, requiring state-developed standards and teacher training to enhance digital literacy skills for students.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates cybersecurity and media literacy education covering data privacy protection, password security, and identifying online threats, directly advancing digital safety and privacy education in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Teachers Cybersecurity Data Privacy

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 189: Schools; directing funds to be allocated to certain school districts to implement salary increases. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 189 establishes updated minimum salary schedules for certified school personnel (like teachers) in Oklahoma public schools, effective for the 2023-2024 school year. It directly affects teachers in school districts receiving Foundation Aid, Salary Incentive Aid, or neither type of aid, requiring districts to meet these new pay rates using existing state funds. The bill specifies detailed salary amounts based on years of experience and education level (e.g., bachelor’s vs. master’s degrees), with amounts ranging from $39,601 to $60,395 annually. It also clarifies that "fringe benefits" exclude certain retirement contributions and requires districts to notify teachers if salaries fall below the minimums. The bill is designated as an emergency measure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirects state funds for teacher salary increases based on experience/education, mandating higher pay rates for certified personnel in public schools.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates minimum salary increases for teachers based on experience/education, directly advancing wage standards for public school personnel using state funds.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

Track

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 841: Strong Readers Act; modifying use of Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund; modifying requirement for teacher preparation program students to complete certain training. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 841, the "Strong Readers Act," modifies how the Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund is used and changes training requirements for students in teacher preparation programs. It directs funds toward literacy programs supporting K-12 students and requires teacher candidates to complete specific literacy instruction training before certification. The bill affects school districts, literacy programs, and teacher education institutions by altering funding allocation and educator preparation standards. Signed into law on May 23, 2025, it takes effect immediately as an emergency measure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirects Statewide Literacy Revolving Fund to K-12 literacy programs and mandates teacher preparation literacy training, advancing educational quality and teacher readiness.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers