The new session of the legislature will begin a week from today. Educators are wondering what this year will hold.
Past promises of pay raises have failed to become reality. That has lead to teachers leaving the profession and the state. State School Board Association Director Shawn Hime says that is an economic drain for Oklahoma.
The Step-Up Oklahoma proposal calls for a five thousand dollar teacher pay increase.
Hime says dismal test scores, four day school weeks and emergency teaching certifications are all the result of under funded schools. Without a pay raise, Hime predicts the teaching profession exodus will get worse in Oklahoma.