By Nuria Martinez-Keel, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — Higher teacher pay and lower class sizes topped Oklahoma educators’ list of needs in public schools, a state Department of Education survey found.
Parents, 5,000 of whom also took the survey, agreed that quality teachers, adequate funding and small class sizes are among their top priorities for their children’s schools. Both parents and teachers emphasized a desire for family involvement in students’ education, according to the survey, which the Education Department and the Oklahoma State School Boards Association conducted in November and December.
The 5,800 responding educators expressed numerous concerns for disruptive student behavior and called for more support in managing it.
Several survey answers urged the state to raise Oklahoma teacher wages, last increased in 2023, to retain and recruit more traditionally trained educators. Doing so, some said, would lower class sizes, improve instruction and help manage classroom disruptions.
State Superintendent Lindel Fields said the survey responses played a “critical role” in determining what legislative priorities he would present to state lawmakers.
In a hearing Monday, Fields requested a mostly flat education budget but encouraged House and Senate legislators to focus on school security, teacher development, school leader training, improving literacy and raising first-year teacher salaries.
Multiple survey respondents, though, called for higher wages across the board, not only for first-year educators. Several said veteran teachers should be rewarded.
“We have thousands of certified teachers who are opting out of teaching because of the volatile environment,” one respondent wrote. “Experience cannot be undervalued or cast out. We need experienced teachers to lead new graduates and help us reduce class sizes. So many have left.”
The average salary of Oklahoma teachers is $61,330, enough for a middle-of-the-pack ranking among its bordering states, according to Education Department data. However, Oklahoma ranks second-highest in average teacher salaries when accounting for cost of living, the state agency’s data shows.
Oklahoma’s average for first-year teacher pay, $41,152 a year, ranks near the bottom in the region even when considering cost of living.
About 11% of Oklahoma public school teachers left the profession last school year, Fields told lawmakers in the Monday budget hearing. The state has 725 fewer teachers in public schools than the year before.
“The challenge with 11% leaving is we’re not filling the pipeline to adequately replace those that are leaving,” Fields told lawmakers. “So, a little work there would go a long way.”
Parents told the Education Department which skills they most want their children to learn before graduating from high school.
Financial literacy was at the top of the list followed by critical thinking, reading and literacy, life skills and career readiness.
They also want their children to learn to communicate effectively, have strong math skills, build strong social and emotional skills, become technologically savvy, and understand civic and historical knowledge, the survey found.
Some parents complained that sports, technology and standardized testing have too great a role in schools. Others gave a more favorable view or didn’t mention them as an issue.
Teachers also gave mixed responses on state testing. Some called for it to be eliminated, and others suggested it be reformed. Technology in education and extending the school year had conflicting responses, too, with some teachers in favor and others opposed.
