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Following last year’s statewide teacher pay boost, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, is proposing an additional increase to the minimum salary for teachers.

Last year, the Legislature approved pay raises of $3,000 to $6,000, bringing the minimum for a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree to $39,601.

Under Pugh’s Senate Bill 1313, that starting minimum would rise to $41,101. Pugh is chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

Educator pay would increase across the board depending on experience: $1,500 for teachers with 4 years or less, $2,000 for teachers with 5-9 years, $2,500 for teachers with 10-14 years, and $3,000 for teachers with 15-25 years.

If passed, the new step increases would take effect for the 2024-25 school year.

Pay is one way lawmakers are trying to address the state’s persistent teacher shortage. Teachers now earn an average of $60,355, including benefits — up from $55,504 the year before, according to Oklahoma Department of Education data.

Recommended Reading

• The Oklahoma Department of Education is considering cutting ties with three professional organizations that offer training for educators and school board members. [Tulsa World]
• Dozens of colleges closed in 2023, as experts predicted. Though enrollment has stabilized since the pandemic, a continuing decline in birth rates will bring greater enrollment challenges in the coming years. [The Hechinger Report]
• Lawmakers frustrated by lack of districts’ participation in teacher raise program. Twelve districts, of the state’s more than 500, have applied for the Teacher Empowerment Fund. [Oklahoma Voice]

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