Education (Teachers)

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 756: Teachers; authorizing certain certification. Emergency.

SB 756, the "Local Teacher Licensure Act," allows Oklahoma school district boards to evaluate and recommend teacher licensure applications to the State Board of Education, directly affecting school districts, teachers seeking certification, and the State Board. The bill requires the State Board to approve recommendations within 30 days or automatically approve them if all requirements are met, streamlining the process. Teacher licenses issued under this act are valid for five years and subject to standard renewal procedures. School districts must establish clear timelines for applications (20-day minimum for applicants) and decisions (30-day review), with written notifications to applicants and the State Department of Education within five business days.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationStreamlines teacher certification process, reducing approval delays and empowering school districts to recommend licenses, directly supporting educator workforce needs and efficiency.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 17, 2025

HB 1281: Teachers; Return to Teach Signing Bonus Act; emergency.

HB 1281 creates a $35,000 signing bonus program for classroom teachers and school counselors returning to Oklahoma public schools after leaving the state. To qualify, applicants must have at least three years of prior experience, not have worked in an Oklahoma public school in the past year, and agree to teach full-time for five years. The State Department of Education verifies eligibility before payment and requires annual confirmation of continued employment. If false information is found or the five-year commitment isn't met, participants must repay the bonus or a pro-rated portion. The bonus is excluded from salary calculations for retirement benefits and minimum pay schedules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $35k signing bonus to attract/retain teachers, directly supporting educator workforce stability and school staffing needs.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides $35k signing bonus to attract teachers, directly funding employment retention in education sector per bill's explicit financial incentive structure95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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failed · Oklahoma · House Mar 27, 2025

HB 1280: Schools; instructional expenditures; requirement; procedures; definitions; effective date; emergency.

HB 1280 (2025) requires Oklahoma school districts to spend at least 50% of their annual budget on classroom instruction starting in 2025-2026. If a district falls below this threshold, it must increase instructional spending by 2% annually until reaching 50%, or face a written warning and, after four years of non-compliance, a permanent 2% annual teacher pay raise for each year missed. The bill defines "annual budget" to exclude bond sales, fundraisers, and non-educational grants, and "instructional expenditures" per federal standards. The bill failed to pass (36-57) on March 27, 2025, so it is not law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates 50% of school budgets for instruction, promoting fiscal responsibility in educational spending allocation without altering tax policy.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates 50% budget allocation for classroom instruction, with teacher pay raises for non-compliance, directly supporting educational funding and teacher compensation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2251: Education; teacher compensation; increase for classroom teachers; effective date; emergency.

HB 2251 requires Oklahoma school districts to provide a 20% salary increase to classroom teachers for the 2025-2026 school year, applying to both current teachers who stay with the same district and new hires (based on 2024-2025 salaries). The increase must be added to existing compensation, benefits, or mandated raises, unless teaching duties are reduced proportionally. It defines "classroom teacher" to exclude superintendents but includes all other teachers as defined in Oklahoma law. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, with an emergency declaration making it immediately enforceable upon passage.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates 20% teacher salary increase for classroom teachers, directly funding educator compensation per bill text.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates 20% salary increase for classroom teachers, directly advancing wage standards for workers in the education sector.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 2018: Schools; definitions; granting physical and occupational therapists certified teacher benefits; effective date; emergency.

HB 2018 amends Oklahoma law to include physical therapists and occupational therapists employed full-time in schools within the legal definition of "teacher" for benefit purposes. This means these professionals, who must hold current certifications and state licenses, will now receive the same legal protections and benefits as certified teachers in school districts. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies specifically to school-employed therapists meeting the certification requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExtends teacher benefit protections to school-based therapists, strengthening educator welfare and aligning non-teaching staff with teacher status under Oklahoma law.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends teacher benefits to school therapists, expanding worker benefits under employment standards for certified professionals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers Professional Licensing

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 11, 2025

HB 2253: Teacher certification; Data Governance Council; effective date.

HB 2253 requires Oklahoma's State Department of Education to create a system for coding and reporting data on all teacher certification pathways, including emergency and full-time adjunct certification. It establishes the Data Governance Council, composed of 13 appointed members from education stakeholders (such as university programs, school administrators, and teachers), to monitor how certification pathways affect student outcomes, standardize data on teacher workforce quality, and set best practices for secure data management. The Council must begin meeting by February 2026, operate without member compensation, and comply with Oklahoma's open meeting and records laws. The bill takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes data system and council to monitor teacher certification pathways' impact on student outcomes, aiming to standardize workforce quality and improve educational effectiveness.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Teachers

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signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 794: Teacher preparation; requiring certain student teaching requirements. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 794 requires Oklahoma teacher preparation programs accredited by the state's Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to provide either a minimum number of weeks of classroom practice or a job-embedded teacher apprenticeship program for teacher candidates. It directly affects all individuals training to become teachers in state-accredited programs. The law mandates the Commission to establish specific requirements through rules, with the policy taking effect July 1, 2025. The bill creates two concrete pathways for teacher candidates to gain practical experience before certification.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates enhanced teacher training requirements (classroom practice/apprenticeships) to improve educator preparedness, directly strengthening teacher preparation standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

signed · Oklahoma · House May 27, 2025

HB 1096: Schools; modifying goals of certain programs; modifying eligibility for certain higher education programs; adding references to Classic Learning Test; effective date; emergency.

HB 1096 modifies Oklahoma school district requirements for teacher professional development. It updates goals to prioritize increasing academic performance scores, closing achievement gaps, and reducing college remediation rates. The bill adds mandatory annual training on dyslexia and dysgraphia for teachers, expands autism awareness training for early childhood educators, and requires data-driven planning for professional development programs. School districts must annually report on these programs to the State Department of Education, including progress toward specific student achievement goals. The bill does not reference the Classic Learning Test in its substantive provisions as described in the provided text.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia/dysgraphia teacher training, expands autism awareness, and requires data-driven planning to improve academic performance and close achievement gaps.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Teachers

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 23, 2025

HB 2895: Children; Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act; time period; appoint; required; teachers; effective date.

HB 2895 modifies Oklahoma's child care licensing rules to improve staffing and facility standards. It requires directors of child care centers to have at least a bachelor's degree (with continuing education still needed), creates a one-year probationary period for new master teachers (extendable by one year), and mandates directors appoint a probationary master teacher within 60 days. The bill also updates space requirements: pre-November 2016 facilities must provide 35 sq ft per infant, while new/expanded facilities must provide 40 sq ft per infant. Additionally, after-school children are excluded from license capacity calculations when determining required master teacher staffing. The changes take effect November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires bachelor's degrees for directors/master teachers and updates facility standards - improves early education staffing quality and safety per child care licensing rules.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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died · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 1366: State Department of Education; directing the Department to establish the Oklahoma High Dosage Tutoring Program. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1366 establishes Oklahoma's High Dosage Tutoring Program for K-8 students needing academic support in math or English language arts. The program requires schools to provide in-person tutoring (3 one-hour sessions weekly for 10-12 weeks per semester) and prioritizes districts designated for federal improvement under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Tutors earn bonuses based on student progress - $1,600 per cohort per semester and $1,000 per student achieving half a grade level of growth annually - with conditional participation if growth targets aren't met. The program is funded through the Teacher Empowerment Revolving Fund, mandates parental consent for student participation, and requires schools to report student assessment data to the State Department of Education.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds for tutor bonuses ($1,600/cohort, $1,000/student) to establish a funded education program, directly increasing government spending on public services.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes funded tutoring program for K-8 students in math/ELA, prioritizes underperforming districts, and provides tutor bonuses for student progress - directly advancing academic support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers Testing & Assessment

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