Education (Teachers)

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 794: Teacher preparation; requiring certain student teaching requirements. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 794 requires Oklahoma teacher preparation programs accredited by the state's Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to provide either a minimum number of weeks of classroom practice or a job-embedded teacher apprenticeship program for teacher candidates. It directly affects all individuals training to become teachers in state-accredited programs. The law mandates the Commission to establish specific requirements through rules, with the policy taking effect July 1, 2025. The bill creates two concrete pathways for teacher candidates to gain practical experience before certification.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates enhanced teacher training requirements (classroom practice/apprenticeships) to improve educator preparedness, directly strengthening teacher preparation standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

signed · Oklahoma · House May 27, 2025

HB 1096: Schools; modifying goals of certain programs; modifying eligibility for certain higher education programs; adding references to Classic Learning Test; effective date; emergency.

HB 1096 modifies Oklahoma school district requirements for teacher professional development. It updates goals to prioritize increasing academic performance scores, closing achievement gaps, and reducing college remediation rates. The bill adds mandatory annual training on dyslexia and dysgraphia for teachers, expands autism awareness training for early childhood educators, and requires data-driven planning for professional development programs. School districts must annually report on these programs to the State Department of Education, including progress toward specific student achievement goals. The bill does not reference the Classic Learning Test in its substantive provisions as described in the provided text.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia/dysgraphia teacher training, expands autism awareness, and requires data-driven planning to improve academic performance and close achievement gaps.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Teachers

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 23, 2025

HB 2895: Children; Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act; time period; appoint; required; teachers; effective date.

HB 2895 modifies Oklahoma's child care licensing rules to improve staffing and facility standards. It requires directors of child care centers to have at least a bachelor's degree (with continuing education still needed), creates a one-year probationary period for new master teachers (extendable by one year), and mandates directors appoint a probationary master teacher within 60 days. The bill also updates space requirements: pre-November 2016 facilities must provide 35 sq ft per infant, while new/expanded facilities must provide 40 sq ft per infant. Additionally, after-school children are excluded from license capacity calculations when determining required master teacher staffing. The changes take effect November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires bachelor's degrees for directors/master teachers and updates facility standards - improves early education staffing quality and safety per child care licensing rules.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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died · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 1366: State Department of Education; directing the Department to establish the Oklahoma High Dosage Tutoring Program. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1366 establishes Oklahoma's High Dosage Tutoring Program for K-8 students needing academic support in math or English language arts. The program requires schools to provide in-person tutoring (3 one-hour sessions weekly for 10-12 weeks per semester) and prioritizes districts designated for federal improvement under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Tutors earn bonuses based on student progress - $1,600 per cohort per semester and $1,000 per student achieving half a grade level of growth annually - with conditional participation if growth targets aren't met. The program is funded through the Teacher Empowerment Revolving Fund, mandates parental consent for student participation, and requires schools to report student assessment data to the State Department of Education.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds for tutor bonuses ($1,600/cohort, $1,000/student) to establish a funded education program, directly increasing government spending on public services.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes funded tutoring program for K-8 students in math/ELA, prioritizes underperforming districts, and provides tutor bonuses for student progress - directly advancing academic support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers Testing & Assessment

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passed · Oklahoma · Senate Apr 2, 2025

SB 186: Teachers; directing the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability to establish a grant program to provide grants to certain individuals seeking alternative certification. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 186 creates a grant program to help teachers with temporary emergency or provisional teaching certificates obtain permanent certification. The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability will award up to 1,000 annual grants per year (first-come, first-served) to eligible teachers through their school districts. Grants cover costs for exam preparation, exam fees, and part of required professional education hours. The program is funded through a new revolving fund and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates grants covering certification costs for teachers, directly funding educator professional development to strengthen teaching quality and certification pathways.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 246: Teachers; allowing public school districts and charter schools to provide certain designations to certified classroom teachers; creating the Distinguished Educator Allotments Revolving Fund. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 246 creates three teacher designations - Recognized (55% student growth), Exemplary (60%), and Master (70%) - based on student academic growth metrics in reading/math. It establishes Distinguished Educator Allotments, providing public school districts and charter schools with funding per designated teacher: $3,000-$9,000 for Recognized, $6,000-$18,000 for Exemplary, and $12,000-$32,000 for Master, adjusted by student growth point values. The State Board of Education sets standards for these designations and oversees implementation, while the State Department of Education monitors systems and reports outcomes. This bill directly affects certified teachers meeting growth targets, school districts receiving funds, and state education agencies managing the program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new state funding allocations ($3k-$32k per teacher) for public schools through Distinguished Educator Allotments, directly increasing public education budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates performance-based teacher funding ($3k-$32k per designated educator) to reward teachers and provide school districts with additional resources for recognized educators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 778: Workforce training; requiring the Oklahoma Workforce Commission to develop workforce training for educators. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 778 requires the Oklahoma Workforce Commission to develop annual workforce training for all teachers and administrators by August 2026. The training, limited to one hour and accessible online through the State Department of Education platform, must cover Oklahoma's key industries and current workforce shortages, with updates each year. Teachers must complete this training annually starting May 2027, and the State Department of Education must post it online by October 30 each year. The bill aims to align educator knowledge with state workforce needs to better prepare students for career pathways.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates annual workforce training for educators to align with state workforce needs, supporting teacher professional development and curriculum relevance.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Teachers

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signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2025

SB 212: Teacher preparation; directing the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish TeachForwardOK.

SB 212 directs Oklahoma's Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish a two-year pilot program called TeachForwardOK for teacher education programs at accredited public colleges and universities. The bill requires the Commission to issue grants to approved programs to hire technical evaluators who must assess four specific areas: teacher candidate recruitment/completion, program effectiveness, alignment with state workforce needs, and strategies for recruiting nontraditional teachers. Programs must submit electronic responses to evaluation reports within 60 days, and the Commission will award $500,000 to one program to address findings after the pilot. The Commission must submit a final report to state leaders by December 2027 detailing results and recommendations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes grant-funded pilot program to strengthen teacher education programs through evaluation and alignment with workforce needs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

signed · Oklahoma · House Apr 20, 2026

HB 2893: Education; paraprofessionals; teachers; exemption; effective date; emergency.

HB 2893 exempts certain paraprofessionals and teachers from additional professional education coursework requirements. Specifically, it states that paraprofessionals with a bachelor's degree in education (and within 10 years of classroom work) and teachers with a bachelor's in education (also within 10 years of classroom service) will be deemed to have satisfied existing rules for certification renewal or professional development. The bill directly affects Oklahoma public school paraprofessionals and teachers holding qualifying degrees. It takes effect July 1, 2025, and was designated an emergency measure to take immediate effect upon passage.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts qualified educators from redundant coursework, reducing certification barriers and supporting teacher retention without cutting funding or restricting requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SB 26: Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma; providing for postretirement employment without earnings limitations subject to certain circumstances. Effective date.

SB 26 removes earnings limits for retired Oklahoma teachers who return to classroom teaching in public schools under specific conditions. It allows eligible retirees (who have not worked for public schools in the past year) to earn full salary for three years without income restrictions, starting July 1, 2025. This applies to teachers retiring after July 2025 who return to active classroom roles in common or career tech school districts. The change modifies existing rules that previously limited postretirement earnings for 36 months, with exceptions based on retirement date. The bill affects current and future retirees in Oklahoma’s public school system who rejoin teaching roles.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves earnings restrictions for retired teachers returning to classrooms, strengthening teacher workforce stability and retention in public schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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