1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|HOUSE BILL 1428 By: Vancuren |
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4| |
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5| |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 6-204.2 and 6-204.3, which relate to the |
8| Education Leadership Oklahoma Act; transferring |
| duties to Office of Educational Quality and |
9| Accountability; modifying purposes of the Education |
| Leadership Oklahoma program; providing financial |
10| assistance for teachers renewing their National Board |
| certification; limiting applicants for renewal |
11| program; setting maximum award for each applicant; |
| establishing bonuses for teachers with National Board |
12| certification; modifying term of years for the bonus; |
| prohibiting inclusion of bonus in calculating salary; |
13| deleting reference to certain salary increment |
| category; modifying verification process for eligible |
14| teachers; transferring oversight of Fund; modifying |
| authorized expenditures; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
15| Section 18-114.14, which relates to the Minimum |
| Salary Schedule; modifying effective date of |
16| schedule; removing certain schedule categories; |
| providing an effective date; and declaring an |
17| emergency. |
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18| |
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19|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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20| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-204.2, is |
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21|amended to read as follows: |
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22| Section 6-204.2 A. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher |
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23|Preparation Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) |
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24| |
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1|and the State Board of Education are authorized to establish the |
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2|Education Leadership Oklahoma program. |
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3| B. The purposes of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program |
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4|are to: |
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5| 1. Provide teachers throughout the state information about |
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6|National Board certification and the Education Leadership Oklahoma |
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7|program services; |
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8| 2. Provide technical assistance and National-Board-certified |
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9|mentors to all teachers seeking National Board certification upon |
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10|request; |
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11| 3. Reward teachers who are seeking National Board certification |
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12|by awarding them a portion of the application processing charge and |
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13|assessment fee and scholarship as provided in subsection D of this |
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14|section; and |
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15| 4. Reward teachers who are renewing their National Board |
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16|certification by awarding them a portion of the renewal application |
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17|fee as provided in subsection E of this section; and |
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18| 5. Provide recognition to National-Board-certified teachers. |
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19| C. To fulfill the objectives of the Education Leadership |
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20|Oklahoma Act, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation OEQA |
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21|shall: |
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22| 1. Inform teachers of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program |
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23|and services it provides to teachers seeking National Board |
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24|certification, emphasizing recruiting efforts toward teachers at |
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1|high-poverty schools, schools identified as in need of improvement |
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2|and in counties with the lowest percentage of teachers who have |
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3|achieved National Board certification; and |
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4| 2. Ensure that all teachers seeking National Board |
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5|certification receive adequate information regarding the level of |
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6|commitment required to acquire National Board certification. |
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7| D. The Commission OEQA shall select not more than one hundred |
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8|(100) applicants to participate in the program each fiscal year for |
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9|whom the Commission OEQA shall pay one-half (1/2) of the application |
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10|processing charge and assessment fee for National Board |
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11|certification. The total amount paid by the Commission OEQA shall |
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12|not exceed One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00) per |
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13|applicant. In addition the Commission OEQA shall also provide to |
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14|the selected applicants a scholarship in the amount of Five Hundred |
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15|Dollars ($500.00) to cover other expenses associated with obtaining |
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16|National Board certification. |
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17| E. The OEQA shall select not more than three hundred (300) |
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18|applicants to participate in the renewal program each fiscal year |
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19|for whom the OEQA shall pay a portion of the fee for National Board |
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20|certification renewal. The total amount paid by the OEQA shall not |
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21|exceed Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00) per applicant. |
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22| F. The Commission OEQA shall promulgate rules establishing a |
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23|process for accepting applications for the Education Leadership |
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24|Oklahoma program and for providing to applicants selected for the |
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1|program up-front payment of the application processing charge and |
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2|assessment fee and scholarship. If a selected applicant who |
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3|receives the up-front payment does not complete National Board |
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4|certification within three (3) years, the applicant shall repay the |
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5|Commission OEQA the full amount paid by the Commission OEQA pursuant |
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6|to subsection D of this section. All selected applicants who do not |
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7|receive an up-front payment and successfully complete National Board |
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8|certification shall be reimbursed by the Commission OEQA for the |
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9|application processing charge and assessment fee. The total amount |
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10|of reimbursement paid by the Commission OEQA shall not exceed One |
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11|Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant. |
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12| F. G. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma |
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13|Commission for Teacher Preparation contract with Southeastern |
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14|Oklahoma State University to OEQA establish Education Leadership |
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15|Oklahoma program training in higher education teacher preparation |
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16|programs in the state to assist teachers in meeting the requirements |
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17|to obtain National Board certification. |
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18| G. H. All teachers seeking National Board certification shall |
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19|be eligible to participate in Education Leadership Oklahoma program |
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20|training to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National |
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21|Board certification process, free of charge. |
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22| H. I. Subject to district board of education policy or |
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23|collective bargaining agreement, additional professional leave days |
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24|may be granted to teachers seeking National Board certification for |
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1|National Board certification portfolio development. During the two |
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2|(2) days of the additional professional days granted to teachers for |
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3|National Board certification portfolio development, a substitute |
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4|teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the |
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5|teacher. |
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6| I. J. 1. The State Board of Education OEQA shall provide to |
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7|teachers who attained attain National Board certification prior to |
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8|June 30, 2013, a bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars |
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9|($5,000.00) annually over a ten-year or five-year period, to be paid |
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10|no later than January 31 each year. The Board shall provide a bonus |
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11|to any teacher who attains National Board certification after June |
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12|30, 2013, if the teacher was selected for the Education Leadership |
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13|Oklahoma program before June 30, 2013, or the teacher has submitted |
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14|an application for National Board certification to the National |
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15|Board for Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2013 |
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16|depending on the duration of the certification. |
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17| 2. The teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as |
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18|provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall receive the |
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19|annual bonus for the ten-year duration of their National Board |
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20|certification and so long as they are teaching in the classroom |
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21|full-time in an Oklahoma public school. No school or school |
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22|district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to this |
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23|section. |
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24| |
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1| 3. The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of the |
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2|teacher's salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory |
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3|Minimum Salary Schedule, including instances where the salary |
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4|schedule of the district exceeds the statutory Minimum Salary |
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5|Schedule, or for purposes of compensating Oklahoma Teachers' |
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6|Retirement System contributions or benefits. |
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7| 4. Teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as provided |
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8|for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not be eligible to |
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9|receive the additional salary increment for National Board |
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10|certification as set forth in the minimum salary schedule in Section |
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11|3 of this act. |
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12| 5. Teachers who attain National Board certification after June |
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13|30, 2013, shall be eligible to receive the additional salary |
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14|increments for National Board certification as set forth in the |
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15|minimum salary schedule in Section 3 of this act. |
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16| 6. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for a |
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17|process by which a National-Board-certified teacher will verify |
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18|that: |
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19| a. the National Board certification has not lapsed, |
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20| b. the teacher is still a full-time teacher employed in |
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21| a public school, and |
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22| c. for teachers eligible for the bonus, the teacher has |
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23| not exceeded the limit of annual bonus payments as |
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24| provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection. |
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1| J. K. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma |
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2|State Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board |
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3|certification portfolio development into all programs in education |
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4|leading to a master's level degree. |
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5| SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-204.3, is |
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6|amended to read as follows: |
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7| Section 6-204.3 There is hereby created in the State Treasury a |
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8|revolving fund for the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation |
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9|Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) to be |
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10|designated the "Education Leadership Oklahoma Revolving Fund". The |
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11|fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year |
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12|limitations, and shall consist of all monies appropriated or |
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13|transferred to the fund by the Legislature. All monies accruing to |
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14|the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted |
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15|and expended by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation OEQA |
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16|to provide assistance and scholarships for candidates seeking |
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17|National Board certification and renewal and to provide annual |
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18|bonuses to qualified teachers pursuant to the requirements of |
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19|Section 6-204.2 of this title. Expenditures from the fund shall be |
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20|made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims |
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21|filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of |
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22|Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment. |
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23| SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 18-114.14, |
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24|is amended to read as follows: |
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1| Section 18-114.14 A. Beginning with the 2018-2019 2023-2024 |
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2|school year, certified personnel, as defined in Section 26-103 of |
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3|this title, in the public schools of Oklahoma shall receive in |
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4|salary and/or fringe benefits not less than the amounts specified in |
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5|the following schedule: |
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6| MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE |
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7| National |
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8|Years of Bachelor's Board Master's Doctor's |
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9|Experience Degree Certification Degree Degree |
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10| 0 $36,601 $37,759 $37,991 $39,381 |
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11| 1 $37,035 $38,193 $38,425 $39,815 |
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12| 2 $37,469 $38,628 $38,859 $40,249 |
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13| 3 $37,904 $39,062 $39,294 $40,684 |
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14| 4 $38,338 $39,496 $39,728 $41,118 |
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15| 5 $38,810 $39,968 $40,200 $41,590 |
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16| 6 $39,273 $40,432 $40,663 $42,054 |
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17| 7 $39,737 $40,895 $41,127 $42,517 |
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18| 8 $40,200 $41,358 $41,590 $42,980 |
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19| 9 $40,663 $41,822 $42,054 $43,444 |
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20| 10 $41,684 $42,844 $43,568 $45,945 |
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21| 11 $42,177 $43,336 $44,061 $46,438 |
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22| 12 $42,670 $43,829 $44,554 $46,931 |
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23| 13 $43,162 $44,322 $45,047 $47,424 |
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24| 14 $43,655 $44,815 $45,539 $47,916 |
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1| 15 $44,167 $45,327 $46,052 $48,430 |
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2| 16 $44,660 $45,820 $46,545 $48,923 |
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3| 17 $45,153 $46,313 $47,038 $49,416 |
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4| 18 $45,646 $46,806 $47,531 $49,909 |
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5| 19 $46,139 $47,299 $48,024 $50,402 |
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6| 20 $46,652 $47,813 $48,538 $50,917 |
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7| 21 $47,145 $48,306 $49,031 $51,410 |
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8| 22 $47,639 $48,799 $49,524 $51,903 |
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9| 23 $48,132 $49,292 $50,018 $52,397 |
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10| 24 $48,625 $49,785 $50,511 $52,890 |
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11| 25 $50,049 $51,232 $51,971 $54,395 |
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12| Master's Degree + |
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13|Years of National Board |
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14|Experience Certification |
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15| 0 $39,149 |
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16| 1 $39,583 |
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17| 2 $40,018 |
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18| 3 $40,452 |
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19| 4 $40,886 |
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20| 5 $41,358 |
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21| 6 $41,822 |
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22| 7 $42,285 |
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23| 8 $42,749 |
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24| 9 $43,212 |
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1| 10 $44,728 |
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2| 11 $45,221 |
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3| 12 $45,713 |
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4| 13 $46,206 |
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5| 14 $46,699 |
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6| 15 $47,212 |
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7| 16 $47,705 |
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8| 17 $48,198 |
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9| 18 $48,691 |
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10| 19 $49,184 |
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11| 20 $49,698 |
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12| 21 $50,192 |
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13| 22 $50,685 |
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14| 23 $51,178 |
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15| 24 $51,671 |
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16| 25 $53,153 |
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17| B. 1. When determining the Minimum Salary Schedule, "fringe |
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18|benefits" shall mean all or part of retirement benefits, excluding |
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19|the contributions made pursuant to subsection A of Section 17-108.1 |
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20|of this title and the flexible benefit allowance pursuant to Section |
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21|26-105 of this title from the flexible benefit allowance funds |
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22|disbursed by the State Board of Education and the State Board of |
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23|Career and Technology Education pursuant to Section 26-104 of this |
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24|title. |
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1| 2. If a school district intends to provide retirement benefits |
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2|to a teacher such that the teacher's salary would be less than the |
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3|amounts set forth in the minimum salary schedule Minimum Salary |
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4|Schedule specified in subsection A of this section, the district |
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5|shall be required to provide written notification to the teacher |
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6|prior to his or her employment or, if already employed by the |
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7|district, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date the |
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8|district elects to provide retirement benefits such that the |
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9|teacher's salary would be less than the minimum salary schedule |
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10|Minimum Salary Schedule. |
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11| C. Any of the degrees referred to in this section shall be from |
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12|a college recognized by the State Board of Education. The Board |
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13|shall accept teaching experience from out-of-state school districts |
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14|that are accredited by the state board of education or appropriate |
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15|state accrediting agency for the districts. The Board shall accept |
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16|teaching experience from out-of-country schools that are accredited |
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17|or otherwise endorsed by the appropriate national or regional |
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18|accrediting or endorsement authority. Out-of-country certification |
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19|documentation in a language other than English shall be analyzed by |
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20|an educational credential evaluation service in accordance with |
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21|industry standards and guidelines and approved by the State |
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22|Department of Education. The person seeking to have credit granted |
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23|for out-of-country teaching experience shall be responsible for all |
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24|costs of the analysis by a credential evaluation service. The Board |
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1|shall accept teaching experience from primary and secondary schools |
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2|that are operated by the United States Department of Defense or are |
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3|affiliated with the United States Department of State. |
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4| D. For the purpose of state salary increments and retirement, |
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5|no teacher shall be granted credit for more than five (5) years of |
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6|active duty in the military service or out-of-state or |
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7|out-of-country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its |
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8|equivalent. Nothing in this section shall prohibit boards of |
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9|education from crediting more years of experience on district salary |
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10|schedules than those allowed for state purposes. |
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11| E. The State Board of Education shall recognize, for purposes |
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12|of certification and salary increments, all the years of experience |
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13|of a: |
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14| 1. Certified teacher who teaches in the educational program of |
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15|the Department of Corrections, beginning with fiscal year 1981; |
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16| 2. Vocational rehabilitation counselor under the Department of |
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17|Human Services if the counselor was employed as a certified teacher |
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18|by the State Department of Education when the Division of Vocational |
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19|Rehabilitation was transferred from the State Board of Career and |
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20|Technology Education or the State Board of Education to the Oklahoma |
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21|Public Welfare Commission on July 1, 1968; |
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22| 3. Vocational rehabilitation counselor which were completed |
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23|while employed by the Department of Human Services if such counselor |
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1|was certified as a teacher or was eligible for certification as a |
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2|teacher in Oklahoma; |
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3| 4. Certified teacher which were completed while employed by the |
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4|Child Study Center located at University Hospital, if the teacher |
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5|was certified as a teacher in Oklahoma; and |
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6| 5. Certified school psychologist or psychometrist which were |
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7|completed while employed as a doctoral intern, psychological |
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8|assistant, or psychologist with any agency of the State of Oklahoma |
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9|if the experience primarily involved work with persons of school- or |
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10|preschool-age and if the person was, at the time the experience was |
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11|acquired, certified as, or eligible for certification as, a school |
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12|psychologist or psychometrist. |
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13| F. The provisions of this section shall not apply to teachers |
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14|who have entered into postretirement employment with a public school |
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15|in Oklahoma and are still receiving a monthly retirement benefit. |
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16| G. If a person employed as certified personnel, as defined in |
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17|Section 26-103 of this title, by a school district during the |
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18|2017-2018 school year was receiving a salary above the step level |
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19|indicated by the State Minimum Salary Schedule for the 2017-2018 |
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20|school year, the person shall receive a salary increase amount equal |
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21|to the amount indicated in subsection A of this section for the step |
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22|level indicated for the person, provided they remain employed by the |
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23|same district, unless the hours or the duties of the certified |
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24|personnel are reduced proportionately. |
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1| SECTION 4. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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2| SECTION 5. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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3|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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4|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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5|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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