1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
| |
2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
| |
3|HOUSE BILL 2558 By: McBride and Baker |
| |
4| |
| |
5| |
| |
6| AS INTRODUCED |
| |
7| An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 6-204.2, which relates to National Board |
8| certification; updating Commission name; providing |
| annual bonus for certain teachers with National Board |
9| certification; modifying duration of bonus; removing |
| reference to additional salary increment; amending 70 |
10| O.S. 2021, Section 18-114.14, which relates to the |
| Minimum Salary Schedule; deleting salary increment |
11| for certain teachers with National Board |
| certification; providing an effective date; and |
12| declaring an emergency. |
| |
13| |
| |
14| |
| |
15|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
| |
16| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-204.2, is |
| |
17|amended to read as follows: |
| |
18| Section 6-204.2 A. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher |
| |
19|Preparation Educational Quality and Accountability and the State |
| |
20|Board of Education are authorized to establish the Education |
| |
21|Leadership Oklahoma program. |
| |
22| B. The purposes of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program |
| |
23|are to: |
| |
24| |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 1
___________________________________________________________________________
1| 1. Provide teachers throughout the state information about |
| |
2|National Board certification and the Education Leadership Oklahoma |
| |
3|program services; |
| |
4| 2. Provide technical assistance and National-Board-certified |
| |
5|mentors to all teachers seeking National Board certification upon |
| |
6|request; |
| |
7| 3. Reward teachers who are seeking National Board certification |
| |
8|by awarding them a portion of the application processing charge and |
| |
9|assessment fee and a scholarship as provided in subsection D of this |
| |
10|section; and |
| |
11| 4. Provide recognition to National-Board-certified teachers. |
| |
12| C. To fulfill the objectives of the Education Leadership |
| |
13|Oklahoma Act, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation |
| |
14|Educational Quality and Accountability shall: |
| |
15| 1. Inform teachers of the Education Leadership Oklahoma program |
| |
16|and services it provides to teachers seeking National Board |
| |
17|certification, emphasizing recruiting efforts toward teachers at |
| |
18|high-poverty schools, schools identified as in need of improvement |
| |
19|and in counties with the lowest percentage of teachers who have |
| |
20|achieved National Board certification; and |
| |
21| 2. Ensure that all teachers seeking National Board |
| |
22|certification receive adequate information regarding the level of |
| |
23|commitment required to acquire National Board certification. |
| |
24| |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 2
___________________________________________________________________________
1| D. The Commission shall select not more than one hundred |
| |
2|applicants to participate in the program each fiscal year for whom |
| |
3|the Commission shall pay one-half (1/2) of the application |
| |
4|processing charge and assessment fee for National Board |
| |
5|certification. The total amount paid by the Commission shall not |
| |
6|exceed One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant. |
| |
7| In addition the Commission shall also provide to the selected |
| |
8|applicants a scholarship in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars |
| |
9|($500.00) to cover other expenses associated with obtaining National |
| |
10|Board certification. |
| |
11| E. The Commission shall promulgate rules establishing a process |
| |
12|for accepting applications for the Education Leadership Oklahoma |
| |
13|program and for providing to applicants selected for the program |
| |
14|up-front payment of the application processing charge and assessment |
| |
15|fee and scholarship. If a selected applicant who receives the |
| |
16|up-front payment does not complete National Board certification |
| |
17|within three (3) years, the applicant shall repay the Commission the |
| |
18|full amount paid by the Commission pursuant to subsection D of this |
| |
19|section. All selected applicants who do not receive an up-front |
| |
20|payment and successfully complete National Board certification shall |
| |
21|be reimbursed by the Commission for the application processing |
| |
22|charge and assessment fee. The total amount of reimbursement paid |
| |
23|by the Commission shall not exceed One Thousand Three Hundred |
| |
24|Dollars ($1,300.00) per applicant. |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 3
___________________________________________________________________________
1| F. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma |
| |
2|Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational Quality and |
| |
3|Accountability contract with Southeastern Oklahoma State University |
| |
4|to establish Education Leadership Oklahoma program training in |
| |
5|higher education teacher preparation programs in the state to assist |
| |
6|teachers in meeting the requirements to obtain National Board |
| |
7|certification. |
| |
8| G. All teachers seeking National Board certification shall be |
| |
9|eligible to participate in Education Leadership Oklahoma program |
| |
10|training to assist them in meeting the requirements of the National |
| |
11|Board certification process, free of charge. |
| |
12| H. Subject to district board of education policy or collective |
| |
13|bargaining agreement, additional professional leave days may be |
| |
14|granted to teachers seeking National Board certification for |
| |
15|National Board certification portfolio development. During the two |
| |
16|(2) days of the additional professional days granted to teachers for |
| |
17|National Board certification portfolio development, a substitute |
| |
18|teacher shall be provided by the school district at no cost to the |
| |
19|teacher. |
| |
20| I. 1. The State Board of Education shall provide to teachers |
| |
21|who attained National Board certification prior to June 30, 2013, a |
| |
22|bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) annually |
| |
23|over a ten-year period, to be paid no later than January 31 each |
| |
24|year. The Beginning July 1, 2023, the Board shall provide a bonus |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 4
___________________________________________________________________________
1|in the amount of Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) annually over a |
| |
2|five-year period, to be paid not later than January 31 each year to |
| |
3|any teacher who: |
| |
4| a. attains National Board certification after June 30, |
| |
5| 2013, if the teacher was selected for the Education |
| |
6| Leadership Oklahoma program before June 30, 2013, or |
| |
7| the teacher has submitted an application for National |
| |
8| Board certification to the National Board for |
| |
9| Professional Teaching Standards before June 30, 2013 |
| |
10| July 1, 2023, or |
| |
11| b. attained National Board certification before July 1, |
| |
12| 2023, and was receiving an additional salary increment |
| |
13| pursuant to the Minimum Salary Schedule in Section |
| |
14| 18-114.14 of this title, for the remaining time of the |
| |
15| ten-year period. |
| |
16| 2. The teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as |
| |
17|provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall receive the |
| |
18|annual bonus for the ten-year five-year duration of their National |
| |
19|Board certification or for the remaining duration of their National |
| |
20|Board certification if they attained National Board certification |
| |
21|before July 1, 2023, and have less than ten (10) years remaining in |
| |
22|their certification and so long as they are teaching in the |
| |
23|classroom full-time in an Oklahoma public school. No school or |
| |
24| |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 5
___________________________________________________________________________
1|school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to |
| |
2|this section. |
| |
3| 3. The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of the |
| |
4|teacher's salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory |
| |
5|minimum salary schedule Minimum Salary Schedule or for purposes of |
| |
6|compensating Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System contributions or |
| |
7|benefits. |
| |
8| 4. Teachers eligible to receive the annual bonus as provided |
| |
9|for in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not be eligible to |
| |
10|receive the additional salary increment for National Board |
| |
11|certification as set forth in the minimum salary schedule in Section |
| |
12|3 of this act. |
| |
13| 5. Teachers who attain National Board certification after June |
| |
14|30, 2013, shall be eligible to receive the additional salary |
| |
15|increments for National Board certification as set forth in the |
| |
16|minimum salary schedule in Section 3 of this act. |
| |
17| 6. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules for a |
| |
18|process by which a National-Board-certified teacher will verify |
| |
19|that: |
| |
20| a. the National Board certification has not lapsed, |
| |
21| b. the teacher is still a full-time teacher, and |
| |
22| c. for teachers eligible for the bonus, the teacher has |
| |
23| not exceeded the limit of annual bonus payments as |
| |
24| provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection. |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 6
___________________________________________________________________________
1| J. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma State |
| |
2|Regents for Higher Education incorporate the National Board |
| |
3|certification portfolio development into all programs in education |
| |
4|leading to a master's level degree. |
| |
5| SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 18-114.14, |
| |
6|is amended to read as follows: |
| |
7| Section 18-114.14 A. Beginning with the 2018-2019 2023-2024 |
| |
8|school year, certified personnel, as defined in Section 26-103 of |
| |
9|this title, in the public schools of Oklahoma shall receive in |
| |
10|salary and/or fringe benefits not less than the amounts specified in |
| |
11|the following schedule: |
| |
12| MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE |
| |
13| National |
| |
14|Board Master's Doctor's |
| |
15|Experience Degree Certification Degree Degree |
| |
16| 0 $36,601 $37,759 $37,991 $39,381 |
| |
17| 1 $37,035 $38,193 $38,425 $39,815 |
| |
18| 2 $37,469 $38,628 $38,859 $40,249 |
| |
19| 3 $37,904 $39,062 $39,294 $40,684 |
| |
20| 4 $38,338 $39,496 $39,728 $41,118 |
| |
21| 5 $38,810 $39,968 $40,200 $41,590 |
| |
22| 6 $39,273 $40,432 $40,663 $42,054 |
| |
23| 7 $39,737 $40,895 $41,127 $42,517 |
| |
24| 8 $40,200 $41,358 $41,590 $42,980 |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 7
___________________________________________________________________________
1| 9 $40,663 $41,822 $42,054 $43,444 |
| |
2| 10 $41,684 $42,844 $43,568 $45,945 |
| |
3| 11 $42,177 $43,336 $44,061 $46,438 |
| |
4| 12 $42,670 $43,829 $44,554 $46,931 |
| |
5| 13 $43,162 $44,322 $45,047 $47,424 |
| |
6| 14 $43,655 $44,815 $45,539 $47,916 |
| |
7| 15 $44,167 $45,327 $46,052 $48,430 |
| |
8| 16 $44,660 $45,820 $46,545 $48,923 |
| |
9| 17 $45,153 $46,313 $47,038 $49,416 |
| |
10| 18 $45,646 $46,806 $47,531 $49,909 |
| |
11| 19 $46,139 $47,299 $48,024 $50,402 |
| |
12| 20 $46,652 $47,813 $48,538 $50,917 |
| |
13| 21 $47,145 $48,306 $49,031 $51,410 |
| |
14| 22 $47,639 $48,799 $49,524 $51,903 |
| |
15| 23 $48,132 $49,292 $50,018 $52,397 |
| |
16| 24 $48,625 $49,785 $50,511 $52,890 |
| |
17| 25 $50,049 $51,232 $51,971 $54,395 |
| |
18| Master's Degree +Years of National Board |
| |
20|Experience Certification |
| |
21| 0 $39,149 |
| |
22| 1 $39,583 |
| |
23| 2 $40,018 |
| |
24| 3 $40,452 |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 8
___________________________________________________________________________
1| 4 $40,886 |
| |
2| 5 $41,358 |
| |
3| 6 $41,822 |
| |
4| 7 $42,285 |
| |
5| 8 $42,749 |
| |
6| 9 $43,212 |
| |
7| 10 $44,728 |
| |
8| 11 $45,221 |
| |
9| 12 $45,713 |
| |
10| 13 $46,206 |
| |
11| 14 $46,699 |
| |
12| 15 $47,212 |
| |
13| 16 $47,705 |
| |
14| 17 $48,198 |
| |
15| 18 $48,691 |
| |
16| 19 $49,184 |
| |
17| 20 $49,698 |
| |
18| 21 $50,192 |
| |
19| 22 $50,685 |
| |
20| 23 $51,178 |
| |
21| 24 $51,671 |
| |
22| 25 $53,153 |
| |
23|
1|the contributions made pursuant to subsection A of Section 17-108.1 |
| |
2|of this title and the flexible benefit allowance pursuant to Section |
| |
3|26-105 of this title from the flexible benefit allowance funds |
| |
4|disbursed by the State Board of Education and the State Board of |
| |
5|Career and Technology Education pursuant to Section 26-104 of this |
| |
6|title. |
| |
7| 2. If a school district intends to provide retirement benefits |
| |
8|to a teacher such that the teacher's salary would be less than the |
| |
9|amounts set forth in the minimum salary schedule Minimum Salary |
| |
10|Schedule specified in subsection A of this section, the district |
| |
11|shall be required to provide written notification to the teacher |
| |
12|prior to his or her employment or, if already employed by the |
| |
13|district, no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date the |
| |
14|district elects to provide retirement benefits such that the |
| |
15|teacher's salary would be less than the minimum salary schedule |
| |
16|Minimum Salary Schedule. |
| |
17| C. Any of the degrees referred to in this section shall be from |
| |
18|a college recognized by the State Board of Education. The Board |
| |
19|shall accept teaching experience from out-of-state school districts |
| |
20|that are accredited by the state board of education or appropriate |
| |
21|state accrediting agency for the districts. The Board shall accept |
| |
22|teaching experience from out-of-country schools that are accredited |
| |
23|or otherwise endorsed by the appropriate national or regional |
| |
24|accrediting or endorsement authority. Out-of-country certification |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 10
___________________________________________________________________________
1|documentation in a language other than English shall be analyzed by |
| |
2|an educational credential evaluation service in accordance with |
| |
3|industry standards and guidelines and approved by the State |
| |
4|Department of Education. The person seeking to have credit granted |
| |
5|for out-of-country teaching experience shall be responsible for all |
| |
6|costs of the analysis by a credential evaluation service. The Board |
| |
7|shall accept teaching experience from primary and secondary schools |
| |
8|that are operated by the United States Department of Defense or are |
| |
9|affiliated with the United States Department of State. |
| |
10| D. For the purpose of state salary increments and retirement, |
| |
11|no teacher shall be granted credit for more than five (5) years of |
| |
12|active duty in the military service or out-of-state or |
| |
13|out-of-country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its |
| |
14|equivalent. Nothing in this section shall prohibit boards of |
| |
15|education from crediting more years of experience on district salary |
| |
16|schedules than those allowed for state purposes. |
| |
17| E. The State Board of Education shall recognize, for purposes |
| |
18|of certification and salary increments, all the years of experience |
| |
19|of a: |
| |
20| 1. Certified teacher who teaches in the educational program of |
| |
21|the Department of Corrections, beginning with fiscal year 1981; |
| |
22| 2. Vocational rehabilitation counselor under the Department of |
| |
23|Human Services if the counselor was employed as a certified teacher |
| |
24|by the State Department of Education when the Division of Vocational |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 11
___________________________________________________________________________
1|Rehabilitation was transferred from the State Board of Career and |
| |
2|Technology Education or the State Board of Education to the Oklahoma |
| |
3|Public Welfare Commission on July 1, 1968; |
| |
4| 3. Vocational rehabilitation counselor which were completed |
| |
5|while employed by the Department of Human Services if such counselor |
| |
6|was certified as a teacher or was eligible for certification as a |
| |
7|teacher in Oklahoma; |
| |
8| 4. Certified teacher which were completed while employed by the |
| |
9|Child Study Center located at University Hospital, if the teacher |
| |
10|was certified as a teacher in Oklahoma; and |
| |
11| 5. Certified school psychologist or psychometrist which were |
| |
12|completed while employed as a doctoral intern, psychological |
| |
13|assistant, or psychologist with any agency of the State of Oklahoma |
| |
14|if the experience primarily involved work with persons of school- or |
| |
15|preschool-age and if the person was, at the time the experience was |
| |
16|acquired, certified as, or eligible for certification as, a school |
| |
17|psychologist or psychometrist. |
| |
18| F. The provisions of this section shall not apply to teachers |
| |
19|who have entered into postretirement employment with a public school |
| |
20|in Oklahoma and are still receiving a monthly retirement benefit. |
| |
21| G. If a person employed as certified personnel, as defined in |
| |
22|Section 26-103 of this title, by a school district during the |
| |
23|2017-2018 school year was receiving a salary above the step level |
| |
24|indicated by the State state Minimum Salary Schedule for the |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 12
___________________________________________________________________________
1|2017-2018 school year, the person shall receive a salary increase |
| |
2|amount equal to the amount indicated in subsection A of this section |
| |
3|for the step level indicated for the person, provided they remain |
| |
4|employed by the same district, unless the hours or the duties of the |
| |
5|certified personnel are reduced proportionately. |
| |
6| SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
| |
7| SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
| |
8|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby |
| |
9|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
| |
10|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
| |
11| |
| |
12| 59-1-5468 EK 01/10/23 |
| |
13| |
| |
14| |
| |
15| |
| |
16| |
| |
17| |
| |
18| |
| |
19| |
| |
20| |
| |
21| |
| |
22| |
| |
23| |
| |
24| |
| |
Req. No. 5468 Page 13
