The Oklahoma Senate Education Committee has announced key legislative priorities to strengthen the state’s education system ahead of the upcoming session.
Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) and Sen. Ally Seifried (R-Claremore) outlined their proposals on Monday at the state Capitol. Their initiatives focus on increasing teacher pay, banning cellphones in classrooms, ensuring students master critical skills, recruiting skilled educators, and reforming higher education.
“With this package of legislation, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more effective education system for all Oklahomans,” Pugh said. “Our initiatives focus on supporting teachers, while also expanding pathways for talented educators to enter and remain in the profession. Most importantly, we’re focused on improving educational outcomes across all levels, from K-12 through higher education, and equipping students with critical skills and knowledge that will serve them throughout their lives.”
“This plan is a bold step forward that will build on the progress we’ve already made in improving education every step of the way from kindergarten through college,” Seifried said. “We’re prioritizing what matters most by supporting our teachers, expanding learning opportunities and ensuring all students have the tools they need to succeed. I’m proud to continue pushing for reforms that will enhance academic outcomes and increase teacher recruitment and retention while providing every student with a high-quality education that sets up for a bright future.”
The proposed legislation will be debated in the upcoming session.
Here is a list of proposed bills:
Senate Bill 201 (Pugh) sets the starting salary for teachers at $50,000.00 and modifies other tiers of the minimum salary schedule to reflect the change.
“I think it is the most important thing to solve, our teacher shortage with Senate Bill 201,” said Sen. Pugh. “This won’t ever be just a one year discussion. Every year we need to reevaluate the marketplace and make sure we are paying our teachers what the marketplace demands.”
“Now we’re 4-5 months into the school year and there’s some large school districts that have over 100 vacancies. So we will continue to work on teacher pay as we know our neighboring states in all directions are focusing on the same,” said Sen. Pugh.
Senate Bill 6 (Seifried) would move school board elections to the November general election ballot to increase voter turnout in these key races.
“I think it needs to be more reflective of the communities. I think bringing more awareness to these elections can make these candidates get outside of their comfort zone and maybe talk with people they wouldn’t,” said Sen. Seifried.
Senate Bill 235 (Pugh) creates the Grow Your Own Educator Program to provide matching funds to eligible school districts and public school district foundations that provide tuition or loan repayment assistance to school district employees who pursue an undergraduate degree from an accredited teacher preparation program leading to a standard teaching certificate.
Senate Bill 139 (Seifried) instructs all public school districts to adopt policies restricting student cell phone use from the first bell in the morning to the last bell of the school day. This would significantly limit distractions in the classroom and allow students to focus on their education.
“We know that when cell phones are in the classroom students are distracted, teachers are trying to manage making the cell phones go away, trying to manage their lesson plan. It’s obviously really important for their mental and physical well being,” said Sen. Seifried.
Senate Bill 244 (Pugh) establishes the School of American Civic Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma to educate students in the principles, ideals, and institutions of the American political order.
Senate Bill 215 (Seifried) proposes the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act to ensure students learn critical math skills. Under this legislation, schools would be required to periodically screen students in fourth through seventh grades on their math skills. Students exceeding grade-level targets will receive advanced instruction, while students who are falling behind will get help from specialized learning teams.
Senate Bill 242 (Pugh) creates the Veterans Entering Teaching (VET) Act and the Veterans Entering Teaching (VET) Program to provide tuition and mandatory fee assistance to students to earn a degree from an approved teacher preparation program at an Oklahoma higher education institution if they agree to teach in an Oklahoma school district for three consecutive years.
Senate Bill 7 (Seifried) creates the Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy, which would provide tuition and fee assistance for college students enrolled in a teacher preparation program who commit to teaching a critical subject area in an Oklahoma public school.
“We will continue to work with our career tech system to provide resources for the programs we know students want and the programs we know will turn around and impact communities, some for multiple generations,” said Sen. Pugh.
Senate Bill 796 prohibits institutions of higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education from utilizing state funds, property, or resources to support diversity, equity, and inclusion positions, departments, activities, procedures, or programs to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
“We are committed to ending DEI on our campuses in any form or fashion. It is time to get that stuff off our college campuses and focus on giving people skill sets so they can stay employed in the state of Oklahoma and help our state flourish,” said Sen. Pugh.
Senate Bill 212 (Seifried) creates a two-year pilot program called TeachForwardOK to evaluate the teacher education programs offered at Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities. This initiative would help these programs find innovative ways to recruit students while ensuring coursework aligns with workforce needs.
Senate Bill 409 (Pugh) directs school 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 amount appropriated for the prior fiscal year.
Senate Bill 555 (Pugh) creates the Education Regulatory Sandbox Program. The measure authorizes a school district to apply for an exemption from a specific education-related statutory requirement or an administrative rule in exchange for the school district implementing an innovation intended to improve educational outcomes. It allows the exemption to be granted for 3 years. The bill requires school districts that are granted exemptions to submit annual progress reports. It allows a school district to apply for a 3-year renewal of the exemption. It also requires the State Department of Education to submit a report on the program to the Governor and legislative leaders after 3 years.
Senate Bill 243 (Pugh) directs the State Department of Education to establish and maintain the School Innovation Grant Program to provide grants to school districts to implement educational innovations. It directs grant applications to be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. After an initial review, the bill directs representatives from the Department to meet with representatives of the applying school district to discuss the proposed innovation. It directs the Department to make grant recommendations to the State Board of Education, which is to approve or disapprove grant applications. The bill directs grant funds to be distributed to applying school districts with consideration for the average daily membership of the district. It directs the Department to collect information from grant recipients and submit a report on the program. The measure also creates the School Innovation Revolving Fund.
Senate Bill 806 (Pugh) creates the Food is Medicine initiative to cover nutrition services for Medicaid beneficiaries. Under this act, the State Department of Education will also work with schools to expand student access to fresh, healthy food.