Enid, OK – Oklahoma lawmakers have taken a significant step toward addressing the state’s ongoing teacher shortage with the introduction of Senate Bill 201. Authored by Senator Adam Pugh, chair of the Senate Education Committee, the bill aims to increase the starting salary for teachers from nearly $40,000 to $50,000. The bill was passed unanimously through the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.
Senator Pugh, who represents Edmond, emphasized the importance of regularly evaluating teacher pay in the state. “In the end, we need more teachers,” Pugh said. “Pay has got to be something we constantly evaluate. It’s been a few years since we’ve done this teacher pay raise.”
The proposed pay increase is seen as a potential solution to Oklahoma’s significant teacher shortage. According to Pugh, the state is currently short of over 3,000 teachers, and many educators are either leaving the profession or choosing to teach in other states where compensation may be higher.
Pugh pointed to neighboring states like Arkansas, which have already passed legislation to increase teacher pay, suggesting that Oklahoma must remain competitive in attracting and retaining talent for its classrooms. “We’re still not recruiting enough men and women into this profession. We’re not retaining enough,” he noted.
Despite the positive reception of the bill in the Senate Education Committee, Pugh acknowledged that the measure still has a long way to go before becoming law. Lawmakers will need to work out how to fund the proposed salary increases, a challenge that could delay the bill’s progress.
In addition to the teacher pay raise, another bill was advanced on Tuesday that would ban cell phones in Oklahoma classrooms. Authored by Senator Ally Seifried, the bill came just a day after a similar measure passed in the House. The two pieces of legislation reflect a broader effort by state lawmakers to address various issues facing Oklahoma’s education system.
As the bills continue to move through the legislative process, both measures highlight the urgency lawmakers feel in improving the state’s educational landscape. With teacher retention a growing concern, the proposed salary increase could be a critical part of efforts to stabilize Oklahoma’s classrooms and attract the next generation of educators.
