Senate Republicans lay out plans for education in upcoming legislative session
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Education remains a hot topic in the state and ahead of the upcoming legislative session, which is only a week away, plans for it are becoming more clear on the Senate side of things.
Senate Republicans laid out their initiatives for this year on Monday morning. They include everything from removing cell phones from classrooms, to moving school board elections to November general elections and also what they called their north star, which is teacher pay.
"I think it is the most important thing to solve our teacher shortage,” Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, said.
Topping the list for Pugh, the Senate Education Committee Chair, and Vice Chair Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, is a bill introduced that would set the starting salary for teachers at $50,000.
"We are thousands of teachers short in our state,” Pugh said.
Pugh said he has heard of over 100 vacancies at larger districts.
“Our state neighbor to the east is cannibalizing our teacher workforce,” he said.
"My biggest passion for this year is really trying to help students and help teachers,” Seifried said.
An idea gaining steam in recent years and authored this year by Seifried is removing phones from classrooms all day. Policies for it would be left up to districts.
“I think we'll see some really good some really good behaviors from our students and also outcomes,” Seifried said.
There’s also a bill that would direct districts to be in session and offer classroom instruction for an additional day at the beginning of each state fiscal year in which the amount appropriated for the financial support of public schools is at least $25 million greater than the prior fiscal year. Pugh said it essentially calls for an extra week of school that would come with additional funding formula and appropriated money to incentivize it.
“On average, Western world spends over 200 days a year in school,” Pugh said. “Some of our allies go to school year-round, only taking small breaks throughout the year. On average, the United States student spends 179 days in a public school. Oklahoma's at the bottom of that list. We, on average spend 165 days in school.”
Some other bills included moving school board elections to November general election ballots to increase turnout and innovation grants for schools.
“I think it's so important that we cast a vision for Oklahoma of what our school system can look like and what our kids can achieve when we believe in them and we give the right resources and get out of the way and let schools be unique and let teachers teach and let parents parent,” Pugh said. “Then we step back and watch the results.”
"I think there's some really great things and then things that we're definitely going to have to have discussions on,” Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said.
Munson, speaking on the other side of the aisle. She said she’s encouraged by addressing teacher pay and the shortage. She said increased education funding overall and addressing mental health issues by adding more behavioral health counselors in schools could be added to it. Both sides also addressed questions on past comments from State Supt. Ryan Walters.
"I think sometimes the words that people use in this building, we need to be very careful,” Pugh said.
"Getting rid of that rhetoric that is truly not helping would go a long way,” Munson said.
We reached out to the State Dept. of Education for comment on Pugh and Munson’s responses. We are currently waiting to hear back. Pugh said he spoke with Walters on Friday about the priorities.