OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – The Oklahoma House floor is scheduled to vote Wednesday on House Speaker Charles McCall’s House Bill 2775 that would increase all active public teacher salaries by $2,500.
The bill says the money would come from a fund of $150,000,000 for the financial support of public schools.
Professional Oklahoma Educators Executive Director Ginger Tinney said she’s not impressed.
“That’s not enough,” she said of the proposed raise. “It’s too little. We need more. We need more because we have to compete with these other states.”
She said many teachers will keep leaving the profession if they aren’t paid better.
“There comes a point when a teacher just says it’s not worth it. I can’t go on,” she shared. “Because you’re thinking, ‘I can’t pay my bills. I’m not going to be able to pay my mortgage, or do I have to hurry to a second job?’ It’s going to make you think, ‘I need to go somewhere else, so I don’t have this stress in my life.’”
Oklahoma Education Association President Katherine Bishop weighed in on the bill as well.
“$2,500 is a great start,” she said. “We know what we’re going to need to keep our state competitive. We were $3,400 below the regional average last year. So, we know it’s going to take more to make sure that we’re attracting and retaining.”
On Feb. 16, the House Appropriations and Budget Committee advanced HB 2775 in a 27-8 vote. The House floor is scheduled to vote on the bill Wednesday.
