Senate Democrats Announce Bold Funding Plan for Public Schools

Senate Democrats today announced a bold 200 million education plan that includes a 3,000 acrosstheboard salary increase for Oklahomas public schools teachers.
The plan was presented Tuesday by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, Appropriations SubCommittee on Education Chairman Stratton Taylor and Senate Education Committee Chairman Susan Paddack in a State Capitol Press Conference.
In addition to the largest teacher pay increase in seven years, the Democrats proposal includes:
Quality Instruction Pay for the states best educators
An increase in funding for early childhood programs for children with special needs
Up to million in funding for an innovative pilot program for additional early childhood programs
And additional monies to be placed in the school funding formula.
This proposal accelerates the work we have done in the last two years to improve the education system in Oklahoma. Its more than just taking the next step toward reaching the regional average. Its time for public schools in Oklahoma to take a giant leap forward and thats what were proposing with this plan, said Morgan, DStillwater.
Oklahoma began an effort two years ago to raise teacher salaries to the regional average. Senate Democrats said Tuesday that effort needs a substantial boost.
Its overdue, and if we are ever going to have a chance to reach the regional average this program must be adopted, and I call on Democrats and Republicans to embrace the 3000 acrosstheboard salary increase so it will be a bipartisan program, said Taylor, DClaremore.
Morgan noted that Oklahoma has been engaged in years of classroom reforms, beginning with the passage of House Bill 0. A national study released last week rated Oklahoma above the national average for holding schools accountable for their performance.
The study ranked Oklahomas teachers among the nations best, but the Senate Democrats noted that teacher pay in Oklahoma is among the worst in the country. Increasing teacher salaries is an important element in improving the states education system, the Senators said.
The Democrats plan will also reward Oklahomas best trained and most qualified teachers with Quality Instruction Pay.
The plan calls for increasing the amount paid to teachers who pass the rigorous national board certification tests each year from 000 to 00 in Fiscal Year 200. In Fiscal Year 200, the bonus would increase to 0,000.
We want to reward those teachers who are nationally board certified and this plan for merit pay is an objective criteria for measuring, said Senator Taylor, Senate President Pro Tempore Emeritus.
The plan also calls for a pilot program of Quality Instruction Pay for educators similar to the one Denver voters adopted in November.
Early childhood education would receive up to million in additional funding that would be matched dollar for dollar by private funds in an innovative pilot program.
Study after study shows that if you want to make a difference in children from high risk homes, you do it in the early years, Paddack said. If we really are serious about attacking some of our greatest social problems, we have to do it in the early years when children are in high risk homes.