TULSA, Okla. — Three notable bills are quickly moving through the Oklahoma State Legislature to bring subtle changes to the school day and to educators.
Senate Bill 1546 would double the college scholarship amounts to aspiring Oklahoma educators in the Inspired to Teach program.
WATCH: Double recess time? Three Oklahoma education bills get broad support
Full-time education majors with fewer than 90 college credit hours would qualify for $2,000 per academic year, up from $1,000, and those who’ve completed more than 90 credit hours could receive $5,000 per year rather than $2,500, according to a state senate press release.
The bill would cost the state about $10.49 million, according to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. More than 7,600 students currently receive funds from the scholarship, the press release said.
The legislation also would rename the scholarship program as NEXT-ED: New Educators for Excellence in Teaching and Education.
Existing rules require recipients to be enrolled in a teacher preparation degree program, and they must pledge to teach in an Oklahoma public school for five years after graduation, the release said. The bill passed the state senate 37-10.
Senate Bill 1481 would instate more recess, doubling minimum recess allotment to 40 minutes a day in elementary schools.
SB1614 requires uncertified adjunct elementary school teachers to at least have a high school diploma. It passed the senate unanimously, just like the recess bill.
Claremore republican Sen. Ally Seifried authored the latter two pieces of legislation.
“Schools can divide (the proposed rule) into two recesses of 20 minutes," Sen. Seifried told 2 news on March 17. "Why are we doing this? Because other states are doing it as well. Parents love it. We ran it off the floor (March 17) unanimously. I looked down at my phone and I had many, many texts from parents.”
Tulsa Public Schools elementary parent Thomas Williams is less than enthused about the legislation moving through the capitol, but for a different reason.
“I mean, the recess is nice and it’ll help them focus a little more, but it’s not going to help them if their teachers aren’t doing what they need to do," Williams said. "And they’re not going to if they’re not going to get paid enough to do it.”
Sen. Seifried said she understands that argument and said she and her colleagues are also fine-tuning teacher staffing and pay issues at the capitol little by little.
“I have to get, you know, buy-in from all of my colleagues, and so we think a highly-qualified teacher, in-person learning with few screens, no cell phones, active at recess – is really a positive way to go,” the senator said.
But Williams will argue bills for teacher pay raises should get the same quick support. As of 2024, Oklahoma ranks 35th in public school instructor pay, according to Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
“If you’re getting paid like crap you’re going to work like crap. Essentially, that’s where we’re at right now," Williams told 2 News.
Other bills directly addressing pay have not gotten votes in the committee, such as these.
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