Oklahoma education group believes teacher pay plan can be funded
by Ben Felder
An education professional organization is pushing for an overhaul of the state’s teacher salary schedule that it believes will make Oklahoma the highest-paying state in the region.
“We have actually been working on this plan for about a year,” said Ginger Tinney, executive director of the Professional Oklahoma Educators, a non-profit professional organization that represents teachers and school staff.
The plan would drastically change the state’s teacher salary schedule for all years of service, including an increase of more than $5,000 for first-year teachers to $37,000 within six years.
Teachers in their 25th year would be paid $60,000, well above the current state minimum of $42,325.
The Professional Oklahoma Educators, which represents about 11,000 educators, began reaching out to lawmakers over the past few weeks and found a supporter in House Speaker Charles McCall, who endorsed the plan during a news conference Thursday.
That will be a good thing for teachers. There needs to be things done to ensure the children aren’t in a class with a bad teacher or a teacher hiding a alcohol or drug problem (Not MedicalCannabis/Maurijana) or both! Make sure they are not grooming a child for sex or inappropriate behavior!! Or that bullying is not being ignored or favoritism toward certain kids!! Random drug and alcohol testing and not warning before hand. Cameras in every rooms and halls and an app that parents can get on and check on their kids throughout the day when they choose to. Just like the good daycares have done your child is never out of view of a camera!! If any complain about it they must have something to hide!!